Quintessenza (Quintessence) is the project by the Grazzini Tonazzini Colombo group, winner of the new edition of NXT, the MAXXI programme dedicated to promoting a new generation of architects and enhancing public space.
The winner of the programme dedicated to the new generation of architects is a new installation in the Museum’s square for you to inhabit and explore.
Practical info
„Quintessenza“ by Grazzini Tonazzini Colombo
June 14, 2024 – September 29 2024
MAXXI
Via Guido Reni, 4a, Roma
Italy
Designed as an abstract volume with a strong plasticity, Quintessenza is a sequence of vertical surfaces in galvanised sheet metal, a scenography, a device shimmering and reflecting through surprising plays of water. A place devised to welcome the Summer at MAXXI, as well as a space to relax, play, and learn while visiting and spending time in the Museum’s outdoor spaces.
On the one hand, the silver tones of the cladding recall those of the concrete and pillars of Zaha Hadid’s structure; on the other, they reference the industrial history of the square that hosts it. The choice of materials, which either come from previous use or are destined for reuse after the installation’s dismantling, minimises the entire project’s carbon footprint.
The Quintessenza project by the Grazzini Tonazzini Colombo group is the winner of the latest edition of NXT, the MAXXI program dedicated to promoting a new generation of architects and enhancing public spaces. The installation will be in the MAXXI Square from May 23rd throughout the summer period.
Rome, March 19, 2024. Quintessenza, by the Grazzini Tonazzini Colombo group, is the winning project of the latest edition of NXT, the MAXXI Architecture and Contemporary Design program directed by Lorenza Baroncelli, dedicated to promoting a new generation of architects and enhancing public spaces (curated by Pippo Ciorra). Four young architectural firms, identified by as many advisors, were invited to present their proposals for the summer installation project to be realized in the MAXXI square, aimed at creating a place for relaxation, shade, and refreshment during visits and stays in the outdoor spaces, as well as hosting the intense program of events offered by the Museum chaired by Alessandro Giuli.
Quintessenza, conceived as an abstract volume with strong plasticity, is a sequence of vertical planes in galvanized sheet metal, a scenography, a changing and reflective device through surprising water features, to be discovered and explored, capable of inhabiting the open space of the MAXXI with dignity and strength, while also offering a place for relaxation, play, and learning.
The installation directly engages with the volumes of the MAXXI, the patterns of Piazza Alighiero Boetti, and the urban lines of the neighborhood, following a regular geometric grid. The silvery tones of the cladding, capable of ennobling poor and construction materials, evoke both the concrete and pillars of Zaha Hadid’s structure and the industrial history of the site. The choice of materials that come from previous use or are destined for reuse after the installation’s dismantling also constitutes a virtuous action to minimize the carbon footprint of the intervention.
The proposal convinced the jury „for its ability to create a true pavilion, with a very particular use of the cladding material, fully meeting the criteria of sustainability, easy realization, and architectural quality.“ The projects of the four selected groups (AMArchitectrue, Brunelli Ann Minciacchi, LandWorks, and Grazzini Tonazzini Colombo) will be exhibited in a show at the MAXXI Archive Center, along with the winning projects of the Italian Architecture Award (promoted and realized by MAXXI and La Triennale di Milano) and will be presented through drawings, models, interviews, and in-depth video contributions.
