December 2006 Archives

NPR has a 5 minute audio report on-line about the Ara Pacis Museum. It contains some interesting news but sounds over dramatized by the reporter - of course it dwells on the "controversy" of the building. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for the architect - love it or hate it, the building can not escape that conversation. There are some snippets from an interview with Meier and from some Italians who are both pro and con the project. It's worth a listen.

One of the first readable blog entries I have come across about the Ara Pacis museum (and it is about the museum - not the altar):

Every so often, I hear how ugly Richard Meier's home to the Ara Pacis is-- what a mistake, it ruins the cityscape of Rome, it's too white. Blah blah blah. First of all, the city scape isn't ruined, it's a flat bed roof, low and hidden beneath Rome's domes. Second, its practically open. Sitting in lungotevere traffic, zipping by on motorino, chilling on the bus or just strolling, no matter what you get a direct peak at the Ara Pacis, direct interaction with Augustus and Ancient Rome, just as it was originally planned 2000 years ago. Third, it's a contemporary building smack in the center of Rome which always sparks a beautiful, enriching and heated discussion of the confrontation between classical and contemporary architecture. Even if you think it sucks, you will still talk about it.

There is more, from an interesting blogger called Moscerina who appears to live in Rome.