Rome in Terracotta: A City Model Made Possible by 3D Printing

At MAXXI, Italy’s national museum dedicated to contemporary art and architecture, a striking model of Rome is currently on display through April 26. Spanning 48 square meters and made up of 953 terracotta tiles, the piece reproduces the entire municipal area. Thanks to 3D printing, it was completed in record time while achieving an exceptionally high level of detail.

The project was led by architect Marco Galofaro, who received the commission in March 2025 with a very tight deadline. From the outset, he knew the model had to be made of terracotta. While ancient Rome is often associated with travertine and marble, it is brick that has truly endured over the centuries. With this material, Galofaro sought to “reveal the essence of Rome.”

This is where the first challenge emerged. Modeling nearly a thousand precise pieces by hand in just a few months was simply not feasible.