MAXXI (Zaha Hadid)

Zaha Hadid's museum for 21st-century art in the Flaminio district — a building of flowing concrete and glass that bends, ramps, and cantilevers through space, so that the architecture is itself an exhibit. Hadid's swooping forms and dramatic light make the act of moving through the galleries part of the experience, sometimes overshadowing the art they hold. It was a landmark commission, announcing Rome's embrace of the contemporary. For visitors, it's a striking counterweight to the ancient city — a chance to see a major work by one of the era's defining architects, where the ribbons of concrete are reason enough to visit.