For centuries, the Pantheon has stood in the popular imagination as a singular, isolated masterpiece—a solitary rotunda rising from the Roman pavement. This image, however, is largely a product of nineteenth-century urban clearances that stripped away the surrounding context. A new project by the Italian architecture studio STARTT, titled *Beyond the Pantheon*, seeks to dismantle this narrative of isolation by reconnecting the temple to the ruins of the Basilica of Neptune situated directly behind it.
Commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Culture, the intervention utilizes what the architects call "micro-architectures." These are precise, modern insertions made of steel and stone that house essential contemporary infrastructure—elevators, storage, and restrooms—within the ancient site. By consolidating these logistical needs into discrete, tailored volumes, STARTT has cleared away decades of technical clutter, transforming previously inaccessible storage areas into a coherent exhibition path.
The project effectively restores the architectural dialogue between the Pantheon’s rotunda and the apse of the Basilica of Neptune. For STARTT founder Simone Capra, the goal was to allow visitors to perceive the site as the "head of an urban spine" rather than a disconnected monument. In doing so, the studio has managed a delicate balance: using the language of modern utility to reveal the deeply layered history of Rome’s urban fabric.
With reporting from Dezeen.
Source · Dezeen
