Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale in central Rome, Italy. November 29, 2024
The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is a neoclassical exhibition hall, cultural center and museum.
The project to build the Palazzo arose from the desire to create a building that would enhance the city’s cultural vocation and be totally dedicated to the fine arts. Among the 74 projects submitted to Roma Capitale, the winning project was presented by architect Pio Piacentini, trained at the Accademia di San Luca, marked with the motto "Let everything be simple and one". Construction work began in 1880 and the building was inaugurated in 1883, with great pomp and in the presence of the King.
The monumental effect is most evident in the central part of the facade, characterized by a deep arched opening and a sequence of statues (placed later) on the columns and pilasters on the facade.
Piacentini created a building inspired by the classicist tradition tempered by the search for an international style. One of the most visible features of the imposing building is the lack of windows on the facade, something that drew Piacentini no small amount of criticism. His intent, however, was to create continuous surfaces within the building that would fulfill exhibition requirements to the maximum. Natural light filtered through the transparencies of the iron and glass roofs placed above.
Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale in central Rome, Italy. November 29, 2024
The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is a neoclassical exhibition hall, cultural center and museum.
The project to build the Palazzo arose from the desire to create a building that would enhance the city’s cultural vocation and be totally dedicated to the fine arts. Among the 74 projects submitted to Roma Capitale, the winning project was presented by architect Pio Piacentini, trained at the Accademia di San Luca, marked with the motto "Let everything be simple and one". Construction work began in 1880 and the building was inaugurated in 1883, with great pomp and in the presence of the King.
The monumental effect is most evident in the central part of the facade, characterized by a deep arched opening and a sequence of statues (placed later) on the columns and pilasters on the facade.
Piacentini created a building inspired by the classicist tradition tempered by the search for an international style. One of the most visible features of the imposing building is the lack of windows on the facade, something that drew Piacentini no small amount of criticism. His intent, however, was to create continuous surfaces within the building that would fulfill exhibition requirements to the maximum. Natural light filtered through the transparencies of the iron and glass roofs placed above.