Massimiliano Fuksas - Museum, e-booki, Architektura
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ROMAN REVIVAL
In Frascati, to the south of Rome, the seventeenth-century stables of a famous villa
have been converted with great sensitivity into an archaeological museum.
The Villa Aldobrandini and its
spectacular water gardens at
Frascati were constructed in
1601-11, during the Counter
Reformation, by Carlo Maderno,
architect of St Peter’s facade, and
Giovanni Fontana. The villa, built as
a summer residence for Cardinal
Pietro Aldobrandini, ‘nephew’ of
Pope Clement VIII, dominates the
town, and faces across the
countryside to St Peter’s dome.
Theatrically set against steep
forest on the edge of the town, the
villa is the centrepiece of an
Arcadian vision of nature. The
gardens, with a semi-circular
water-theatre and nymphaeum are
fed by an axial sequence of
waterfalls, and are one of the best
and most famous examples of early
Italian Baroque landscape.
The villa is still privately owned,
but the suite of seventeenth-
century stable buildings next to
the town square now belongs to
the city. It has been transformed
with great sensitivity, by
Massimiliano Fuksas, into the
Museo Tuscolano. The museum
houses archaeological fragments
of the Roman city of Tuscolo,
remains of which are scattered
over the Alban hills; but it also
accommodates an exhibition hall
and auditorium. In converting the
buildings, Fuksas has impinged
very lightly on the old structures,
leaving the architecture to speak
for itself; but his poetic response
to it, and to the superb setting, is
very evident, as is his talent for
enhancing inherent architectural
drama.
The site had two magnificent
rectangular halls set end to end, in
need of repair and restoration.
Once this was done, and the
buildings cleared of unnecessary
accretions, the architect was left
with an enormous double-height
volume, requiring a new first
floor, and a smaller vaulted one
with a chamber above. As an
organizing device, a new service
core and lift shaft were inserted
into the inner end of the main
hall, forming a central cross-axis
and establishing the museum’s
two separate sections.
A
RCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
,
F
RASCATI
, I
TALY
A
RCHITECT
M
ASSIMILIANO
F
UKSAS
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2
1
Main west face. Original entrance
(right) is now a window onto town
hall square; new entrance (left) in
adjacent building.
2
East vaulted gallery on ground floor.
3
Main gallery with new first floor and
staircases.
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New insertions have been made
distinct from the old structure and
the marks of previous occupation
and wear and tear have been left as
archaeological traces. Except for
the occasional plane of coloured
plaster and new glazing, the
buildings have not been smoothed
down; rather, in keeping with the
nature of the exhibits, the textures
of materials – rough stone, brick,
flaking plaster and concrete – have
been treasured.
In the main gallery a large
window, framing a view of the
town hall square, replaced the
original main entrance; and a new
entrance was created in an
adjoining lodge. Within the gallery,
RSJ columns and beams support a
new first floor of concrete and
steel. Floating short of the old
perimeter walls, it accommodates
an aerial flight of steel and wood
stairs from ground level. Another
parallel flight beneath takes you to
offices on an intermediate level
over the entrance. The
immateriality of the inserted
structures is induced by height and
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4
Exhibition hall on upper level; new
floor, with glass balustrading, floats
free of old structure.
5
Main gallery; north wall and new
staircases. Archaeological exhibits in
glass case on slender bronze stands.
6
Upper chamber over entrance and
glass bridge to exhibition hall. New
windows over town hall square.
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1
first floor plan
north-south cross section
north-south cross section
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length, and by being counterpoised
against the massive masonry wall,
its thickness displayed in the deep
reveals of small square windows
set high above the ground.
Displayed on slender bronze
stands designed by Massimo
Mazzone, and illuminated by tiny
spots of suspended light, the
exhibits have been rendered
equally ethereal. Arranged in a
long procession, they are enclosed
by transparent sheets of
toughened laminated glass, 2.60m
high and set straight into the
polished concrete floor. This
crystalline case forms a central
spine down the length of the
ground floor and is visible from the
square outside. As an example of
exhibition design, it is irresistible.
Upstairs, is the cultural centre
with the well-equipped auditorium
contained in the chamber over the
vaulted gallery. The larger hall
under high roof timbers is used for
exhibitions and other cultural
events. Through windows there
are wide views over the Roman
countryside and of the Villa
Aldobrandini.
A
RCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
, F
RASCATI
, I
TALY
A
RCHITECT
M
ASSIMILIANO
F
UKSAS
west-east long section
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1
entrance
2
main gallery
3
exhibition case
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service core
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vaulted gallery
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exhibition hall
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auditorium
Architect
Massimiliano Fuksas Architetto, Rome
with Doriana O. Mandrelli
Project team
Massimiliano Fuksas, Doriana O. Mandrelli,
Lorenzo Accapezzato
Artist
Massimo Mazzone
Photographs
Giovanna Piemonti
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ground floor plan (scale approx 1:500)
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