A retrospective on the extraordinary theoretical and practical contribution of an “unusual architect”. On display materials from archives and collections from all over the world. After the exhibition dedicated to Gio Ponti, Aldo Rossi – the world-renowned architect – is the focus of a major retrospective at MAXXI that analyses the extraordinary theoretical and practical contribution of an “unusual architect” in the reconstruction of Berlin and the debate about Barcelona. He places his studies within a broader tradition of national analytical culture and in relation to the most pressing issues of urban contemporary life.

Cultural projects, architectural projects, domestic set-ups and projects are the three main drivers of a complex, multifaceted history involving training, research and education, building an international network, drawing as independent research, critique and bequests. Materials from the MAXXI Architecture archive as well as archives and collections from all over the world are on display: famous drawings, projects, writings and a spectacular series of models, a kind of imaginary city, tangle of ideas, images, places, identities and memory.