Rem Koolhaas to Design Museum at Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome

Rem Koolhaas will design the museum layout for the new Museo del Mausoleo di Augusto in Rome, set to open in 2026. The project is backed by the newly established Fondazione Bulgari, which will contribute €700,000. The museum will be housed within the Mausoleum of Augustus, currently under restoration, and will display artifacts found at the site, including a marble head of Venus unearthed in July 2023. This marks Koolhaas's first project in Rome for OMA, following an unrealized 2004 proposal to transform the Ex Mercati Generali complex. The Fondazione Bulgari, chaired by Jean-Christophe Babin with vice president Laura Burdese, has previously funded restoration of six Roman monuments, including the Vittoriano statues and the Area Sacra di Largo Argentina. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri praised the public-private partnership. Meanwhile, the Piazza Augusto Imperatore redevelopment by Francesco Cellini is ongoing, with completion expected by end of 2024, in time for the Jubilee.