From 19 September 2026, visitors can become better acquainted with the intellectual and visual language of one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century.
For millions of Maastricht residents and visitors, the Bonnefanten dome has become an iconic landmark of the city on the Maas. Less well known is the story behind the building and the man who designed it. With this new exhibition, Bonnefanten is about to change that. Through drawings, prints, paintings, models, furniture, objects and archive materials, the world of Aldo Rossi unfolds: a world in which architecture and memory, art and everyday life are inextricably linked.
Aldo Rossi, creative thinker
Aldo Rossi (1931–1997) was much more than just an architect. He was also a writer, theorist, critic, artist, teacher and designer. His buildings seem simultaneously familiar and enigmatic, referring to archetypes from the city whilst also evoking personal memories and experiences. This idea also forms the foundation of his design for Bonnefanten. For his Museo di Maastricht, Rossi posed a question that was as simple as it was fundamental: Is a museum a collection of memories of life, or does it actually become part of our lives? Thirty years later, Bonnefanten invites visitors to answer this question once again.
Rossi was highly conscious of the influence of time on architecture. Time layers memories and fragments of history, leaves traces and makes way for something new. This process of continuous change is also evident in his museum in Maastricht. Over the past thirty years, the building has changed and parts of the original interior have disappeared. Thanks to Aldo Rossi: Darling Architecture, Rossi is once again given a prominent place in his own building.
For Rossi, architecture was not only a way of thinking but also a form of creative play. Ideas, images and shapes recur throughout his body of work, each time in a different form or on a different scale. For the presentation in the former library, Bonnefanten draws, amongst other things, on two exceptional ensembles from its own collection: Rossi’s Opera Grafica comprising nearly a hundred works, as well as an extensive collection of exhibition posters.
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Van architectuur tot Gesamtkunstwerk
The presentation was developed by Ton Quik, a former Bonnefanten curator, in close collaboration with the Fondazione Aldo Rossi in Milan. A distinctive selection from Rossi’s diverse body of work – from drawings and prints to iconic design and unique furniture – is brought together in the very place where his architecture is experienced by hundreds of visitors every day.
Rossi never limited himself to architecture alone. In his long-standing collaborations with producers such as Alessi, Molteni&C and UniFor, the boundary between buildings, furniture and everyday objects became blurred. A coffeepot could become a tower; a cupboard could become a building. Several of these designs will be included in the permanent exhibition.
Particular attention is paid to Rossi’s original interior design for the Bonnefanten Museum. When the museum opened in 1995, the central section of the building was a Gesamtkunstwerk in which the architecture, furniture and interior design formed a single cohesive whole. Over the past thirty years, some of this has disappeared or changed. The entire ensemble of museum furniture that was produced by Molteni&C and UniFor has been returned to the museum for the new presentation. Rossi’s fascination with everyday objects and his collaboration with these manufacturers also form an important part of the exhibition booklet.
Aldo Rossi: Darling Architecture
To mark the launch of the permanent exhibition, Muse Factory director Francesca Molteni produced a short film about Aldo Rossi. Beatrice Lampariello, Professor of the History of Architecture at UCLouvain, guides visitors through Rossi’s unique way of thinking about architecture, the city and life. Through his work, ideas and his own words, a personal portrait emerges of an architect for whom memory, imagination and reality were constantly intertwined.
The film is part of Aldo Rossi: Darling Architecture and will be shown in a specially designed screening room.
A new edition of Cittá analoga, the map by Dr Dario Rodighiero, Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies, has also been produced for this presentation. It is published by the University of Groningen.
Aldo Rossi: Darling Architecture was developed by former curator Ton Quik and produced in close collaboration with the Fondazione Aldo Rossi in Milan.