Just two years after its opening, the Maxxi Museum in Rome is threatened with closure. The country’s current economic crisis has resulted in major cuts in cultural funding, causing a great deal of stress on the arts. As BD reports, earlier this month the museum was told that the government’s contribution to its €11 million budget would fall to less than €2 million for 2012. Now, as the museum officials failed to set a budget for 2013, the government has reportedly begun proceedings to put the high-profile museum under special administration.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 2010 Stirling Prize winning national art and architecture museum has attracted more than 450,000 visitors per year. Hadid has described the museum’s success as “remarkable”, as it quickly built a prestigious, international reputation within the world of contemporary art.
As reported by the Guardian, problems arose once the Italian government uncovered a €800,000 hole in Maxxi’s 2011 accounts. Although the museum stated that this amount was offset by 2010 profits, the Italian government is considering putting the museum in the hands of administrators and will reveal the museums fate within the next few weeks.
Projected losses for the museum could reach €11m in the next three years.
Reference: The Guardian, BD Online
Photo by Flickr user marvelfrance, licensed through Creative Commons.
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such a shame to waste such a beautiful space because of a money crisis. i wish they change their decision.
It’s amazing that the museum was getting so much money from the government in the first place. I’m curious to know how that figure compares to American museums.
An Un-necessary and un-effective concrete dinosaur that was not supposed to be built on a first instance. Now will become another beautifull and useless Piranesian ruin that decorates Rome marking our age of madness.
For once the crisis helps to bring things back to reason.
Architecture as we know it is dead. and we are happy
I went to the MAXXI this week and the amount of people there was next to done, thus contributing to the lifelessness of the building. Also, what all of the wonderful photos of the building don’t show is the massive jail compound-like gate and fence that surrounds the complex and further make the building seem cold.
I actually hope the building changes hands and the gates are opened, so that street and graffiti artists can take over Zaha’s blank canvas.
I guess pride comes befor the fall
Awful architecture! Too bad for the museum.
Allegedly, the cost of heating and cooling the very environmentally unfriendly building is exorbitant.
i´ve seen this before. -the rise and fall of rome empire.