Little Black Book of Art

A huge museum for contemporary arts and architecture opens in Rome this weekend in a bid to draw avant-garde art lovers to a city defined by its ancient monuments and Baroque fountains. The MAXXI museum designed by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid is the latest and most ambitious project to try to refresh the Italian capital’s image of a decadent city bent on its glorious past.

The museum marks its opening with a three-day extravaganza that included the unveiling Thursday of inaugural exhibits; a party Friday night for 5,000 artists, fashionistas, aristocrats and other VIPs; and an admission-free day for a fortunate few thousand ticket holders.

For Hadid, who became the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, the challenge was to work with the “layers” of Rome’s artistic past and bring a new space for art in the city.

“Rome has fantastic light,” Hadid said. “The idea of this project is about layering and bringing in light to the space so that you have a naturally lit space — and to give the curators tremendous freedom in the way they can organize exhibits.”

The MAXXI is located in the Flaminio quarter of Rome, in the area of the former Montello military barracks. The complex houses two institutions: MAXXI Arte and MAXXI Architecture. For more information, please visit: www.fondazionemaxxi.it

Text: The Associated Press

Love Architecture?

Open House is an architectural education organisation which for the last 17 years has been highlighting the importance of building design.

It works with local councils, developers and architects to promote what it sees as good design, and each year organises a weekend showcasing the very best and most interesting examples.

Open House offers the opportunity to view, free of charge, a huge range of buildings of architectural interest which are not normally open to the public.

A large number of inner-city gems will be opening their doors to let members of the public which range from government buildings, private homes, historic houses and there are also site visits to ongoing construction projects.

Children’s activities are also a feature at several venues. Certain events require pre-booking; a full programme is available from mid-August from the website: www.openhouse.org.uk (telephone bookings are not taken).

Our choice of visits would be:

Rivington Place, Hackney, London, EC2A 3BA – This RIBA award winning building by David Adjaye Associates (Sunken House also in Hackney by David Adjaye also worth a visit).

Maggie’s Centre, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith & Fulham - Cancer care hospice, shortlisted for the Stirling Prize by Rogers Stirk & Harbour.

Tree House, Brixton, 1a Bedford Terrace, Lyham Road, SW2 5DJ - A net zero energy house which makes the most of a small plot, integrating inside and outside spaces. The top room opens into the canopy of the tree that inspired the form, details and performance of the house.

201 Bishopsgate,Broadgate Tower and Tower 42 the City’s tallest building.

The Michael Tippett School, Heron Road SE24 0HZ - Multiple award-winning design for the first Building Schools for the Future school to open in London accommodating up to 80 secondary school students with profound and multiple learning problems.

Don’t miss going to see Europe’s biggest construction project, the 2012 Olympic Park, E10 5JY, and find out where billions of taxpayers’ pounds are going. There’s also an Olympic Park Viewing Gallery, E15 1QN!

Wallpaper magazine have highlighted some of the buildings they admire with a website showing detailed ground plans and information of a number of properties.
Visit: www.wallpaper.com/openhouselondon