Uffizi exit: medieval trumps modern

Unflatteringly described by art critics as a slatted bed frame or a bus shelter, a long-debated architectural project for one of the world's greatest museums has been shelved, after years in limbo.

The plans for a new exit for the Uffizi Museum in Florence by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki were scrapped yesterday because excavations in the area had revealed the foundations of medieval houses which were levelled when the museum was built in the 1500s.

"In the light of the archaeological findings, Isozaki's project can no longer be carried out," an Italian culture ministry statement said, after a meeting with the architect last week.

Posted by David on February 23, 2005 9:09 PM