The Zaha Hadid-designed MAXXI Museum of 21st Century Art, located in Rome, has nabbed the 2010 Stirling Prize. The Royal Institute of British Architects announced the winner of the £20,000 award during a ceremony in London.
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| © Iwan Baan |
The animated architect alluded to this void in her awards cabinet during a short acceptance speech, quipping: "It's really very exciting for me to win a British prize for a change", which drew cheers from supporters and competitors alike.
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| © Iwan Baan |
The MAXXI itself was arguably the most arresting of the six shortlisted projects; its bold, unapologetic chunks of raw concrete almost outshining the art it was designed to house - although it is understood that during the design process, Hadid was yet to be informed as to what would be exhibited in the series of rooms she was creating. An open weave of heavily swerving staircases criss-cross the soaring central atrium, as the basic colour palette of cream, black and vibrant red oozes through the yawning spaces.
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| Second Floor Plan |
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| First Floor Plan |
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| Ground Floor Plan |
MAXXI, built on the site of a former army barracks, took 10 years and 150 million euros ($207 million) to complete. It was designed in 1999: Rome wanted its own contemporary-art museum at a time when London’s Tate Modern and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, were opening. In her acceptance speech, Hadid said that working in Rome was “very difficult.” She regretted the absence at the ceremony of the museum’s Italian director, because of a passport loss. “It’s a confirmation of the Italian-ness of this project,” she said.
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| © Iwan Baan |
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| © Iwan Baan |
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