249. MAXXI National Museum of XX1 Century Arts. Rome, Italy. Zaha Hadid (architect). 2009 CE. Glass, Steel, and cement.

• Form
  • Internal spaces are covered by a glass roof; natural light is admitted into the interior, filtered by louvered blinds
  • Walls flow and melt into one another creating new and dynamic interior spaces
  • Constantly changing interior and exterior views
  • The transport roof modulates natural light
  • Subtle modulation of color: gray, silvers, and whites contrast with blacks
• Function
  • Two museums, a library, an auditorium, and a cafeteria
  • The complex specializes in art of the twenty-first century
  • The flowing form encourages various paths to understanding history rather than a single narrative
• Context
  • Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi-born, British based architect
  • The work references Roman concrete construction.