As I look back on one of my most memorable photography assignments for Indesign Magazine, my experience shooting the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome still resonates. This stunning structure, designed by Meier Partners, is more than just a museum—it’s an architectural dialogue between past and present, a place where history and modern design converge to honour Rome’s cultural legacy.

Located on the banks of the Tiber River, the museum houses the Ara Pacis, an ancient sacrificial altar dating back to 9 B.C. What struck me during the shoot was the contrast between the ancient monument and the clean, contemporary design of the museum. The white travertine walls and expansive glass curtain allow light to pour into the space, bathing the ancient altar in natural light and creating a harmonious relationship between architecture and artifact. The photographer's dream was the play of light and shadow on the textured travertine walls and the sleek, glazed surfaces.

Architecturally, the building’s sleek lines and minimalist volumes are in conversation with the surrounding urban fabric of Rome. The glass façade, spanning 150 feet long and 40 feet high, not only invites the city into the museum but also serves as a transparent barrier between the embankment of the Tiber and the ancient Mausoleum of Augustus. The museum’s long glazed loggia, elevated on a shallow podium, seems to hover in place—connecting Rome’s ancient history with its modern present.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Ara Pacis Museum is how Meier Partners used the design to evoke the proportions and clarity of Rome’s ancient structures while incorporating modern architecture's technology and materials. The interplay of concrete, glass, and beige Roman travertine is a nod to both antiquity and the future, making the museum a work of art. The carefully positioned skylights in the main hall, designed to eliminate false shadows, were a highlight of the shoot, allowing for perfect lighting at every turn.

As part of Rome’s ongoing effort to protect its cultural legacy, the museum is not just a static space—it also features areas for temporary exhibitions, a digital library dedicated to Augustan culture, and a rooftop terrace offering views of the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Tiber River. During Design and Architecture Week, I’m reminded of how these kinds of spaces are essential in maintaining the balance between honouring the past and embracing the future. For any photographer, working in such an environment is a rare privilege. To visually capture a space where design and history intersect was not just an assignment, but an opportunity to engage deeply with the architecture and its story.