Friday, 18 November 2005 | Elif Sungur
Ara Pacis Museum to Open in April 2006
The 'Altar of Peace' dating from 9 B.C. has been under protective covering since 2000 during construction of the Ara Pacis Museum designed by architect Richard Meier.
Ara Pacis Museum to open in April 2006
Richard Meier attended the official unveiling of the Ara Pacis on September 23, 2005 in Rome, Italy. The sacrificial altar-which dates back to 9 B.C.-had been under protective covering for the last five years during construction of the new Ara Pacis Museum designed by Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP. The altar was not relocated at any time during the construction of the Museum, and following the unveiling ceremony it will be placed under a new transparent casing until the Museum opens to the public in April 2006.
The Ara Pacis Museum marks the first work of modern architecture in the historic center of Rome since before World War ll. Situated along the Tiber River near the Ponte Cavour, the Museum will be an integral part of the urban context of the Augustan area located on the western edge of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore.
The altar was formerly housed in a building designed in 1938 under the direction of Mussolini. Almost half a century later, the building was badly in need of repair putting the ancient altar at risk. In 1995, Richard Meier received the commission for a new 42,000sf building which in addition to housing the altar would also provide exhibition space for related archeological exhibitions, as well as an auditorium and library.
The building features a striking glass curtainwall measuring 40 feet in height and over 150 feet in width. The Ara Pacis itself is set in the dramatic Great Hall, a skylit room where it is visible from three sides. The roof of the Great Hall rests on four columns which maximizes natural lighting and reduces the appearance of shadows.
Outside the main structure, a low travertine wall extends from within the Great Hall tracing the ancient shore of the Tiber River. An outdoor roof terrace above the auditorium includes a café with views over the Mausoleum of Augustus to the east and the Tiber River to the west. Building materials include glass and concrete as well as an indigenous fine beige Roman travertine.
After the unveiling, the monument and part of the museum will be open for guided tours once a week, however the entire complex will not be completed and fully open to the public until April 2006.
For more information, please visit http://www.richardmeier.com/
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