Contemporary Icons
Northern Rome - Rome Center
Renzo Piano’s Auditorium, Richard Meier’s Ara Pacis Museum, Zaha Hadid’s MAXXI
Over the last three decades, Rome’s cityscape has been reshaped by projects from international offices such as Richard Meier & Partners Architects, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Studio Odile Decq, and Zaha Hadid Architects. These contemporary master works do not compete with the city’s ancient heritage—they engage in a dynamic dialogue with it. Navigating the delicate balance between innovation and tradition, permanence and change, these recent projects reveal the complexities of building in a city where every stone carries historical weight.
This tour offers a fresh perspective on Rome, not as a static, postcard-perfect relic, but as a living, ever-changing metropolis. It uncovers a lesser-known narrative, one where visionary architecture prompts deeper questions about cultural identity, historical continuity, and the future of the Eternal City. Join us to explore the creative, political, and economic forces behind these contemporary gems.
Ara Pacis, Auditorium, MAXXI
This tour begins at the Ara Pacis Museum, where Richard Meier’s luminous architecture encloses an ancient Roman altar in glass and travertine, forging a refined balance between historical reverence and modern clarity.
From there, it moves to Renzo Piano’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, where three concert halls in the shape of inverted mandolins emerge from an archaeological site, merging sound, space, and civic life. The tour finishes with Zaha Hadid’s National Museum of 21st Century Arts (MAXXI) redefines the museum concept as a dynamic and fluid space—open to experimentation, circulation, and urban engagement. Together, these works express a Rome that embraces the contemporary without severing its dialogue with the past.
Tour Details
Duration: Half-day/Full-day format
Transport: Walking
Languages: English, German, Italian
Max Group Size: 15
