Museo dell'Ara Pacis - Interior
East Side of the Museum, toward Mausoleum of Augustus
The site chosen in 1937 for the reconstruction of the Ara Pacis and for the construction of its protecting pavilion was a narrow area between two streets (Lungotevere in Augusta and Via di Ripetta). The altar was reconstructed with its sides facing these two streets. Because of these decisions, the building was necessarily designed with only narrow passages beside the altar on its two sides. The present museum was constructed around the altar on the same site, thus suffering from the same limitation.
Because the Ara Pacis Augustae was originally located in the open with the monument viewable from many distances, these narrow passages provide limited viewing conditions for the 2 sides of the Ara Pacis. This is especially unsuitable for the important processional friezes on the upper portions of the two sides, which must be viewed at severe angles. The original north side can be viewed from a distance from outside the left side of the museum, through tinted, reflective windows. The original south side, however, when seen from outside the museum, can only be seen at a severe angle from the street below. The 1938 pavilion attempted to accommodate this slightly with viewing ramps, close to the altar, on both sides. The new museum has no such viewing ramps.
On the right side of the museum, the vast side windows provide views of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore, most notably the Mausoleo di Augusto.
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Looking north down the passageway along the right (east) side of the museum; also showing 2 of the 4 supporting columns. photo Oct. 2008
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Closer view of area in photo at left. Whereas there is a ramp along the left (west) side of the museum, there are steps here on the right side. photo July 2008
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Characteristic Meier detailing. photo July 2008
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Looking south, back down the passageway along the east side of the museum. In the 1938 pavilion, there was a ramp on both sides of the monument, at the level of the floor seen here in front. photo Oct. 2008
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Closer detail of passageway in photo at left. A standard criticism of the new design is that the lack of ramps along the 2 sides of the monument (which, in the 1938 pavilion was at the level of this man's head) forces viewers to view the processional friezes from a much lower angle. photo May 2010
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Looking south, back to the bookstore at far left and, at right, to the area with introductory material including casts of portrait heads photo Oct. 2008
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Looking east through the window on the right side of the museum, to the Mausoleo di Augusto. photo Oct. 2008 |
Showing the steel and transluscent glass sunshield outside the right side windows. photo May 2010
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Looking east through the window on the right side of the museum, to the Mausoleo di Augusto and the Via di Ripetta below. photo Oct. 2008 |
