The National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Spain (1984), was one of the first projects that brought Rafael Moneo to the attention of the American architectural scene. There, one must traverse the museum’s entrance pavilion, where uncovered Roman ruins below can be viewed, before entering and grasping the dimensions of the spectacular main exhibition space. The spaces created by the large, arched bearing walls—reminiscent of Roman brick and illuminated by skylights—while powerful, still allow for the significance of the works on display.
With this precedent, there could be no better project for the Madrid-based Moneo than the restoration of the ancient Roman theater in Cartagena, Spain, which also included the creation of an adjoining museum housed in two buildings and the design of a park to embrace the pieces of the architectural composition. Commissioned in 1999 and open to the public in 2008, this work allowed Moneo to bring together several of his fundamental concerns about architecture, building, and the city.
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