Enzo Ferrari Museum

At the beginning of the last century, the automotive industry was still in its infancy, while houses had been built for several millennia. The International style helped invigorate the field of architecture to the extent that compared to some buildings, the modern car seemed less progressive. The automotive industry underwent enormous development in the following decades, surpassing architecture in its flexibility, incorporation of the latest technologies, use of modern materials, and primarily in how its customers embrace innovations. Certain architects in Brno lament that a client is not afraid to invest a substantial amount in the latest model of a car, but when it comes to their living space, they are unwilling to invest a similar sum of money and instead prefer to choose a tried-and-true construction style.
In recent years, car manufacturers have lent a helping hand to architects. In addition to making technologies such as real-time prototyping and advanced computer programs accessible, they have shown themselves to be enlightened clients willing to take risks with architects, which has often paid off for them in most cases. Just last year, several interesting showrooms, automobile museums, and production halls were completed, which subsequently became symbols of the entire company.
The winning project for the Maserati Museum from the end of 2004 demonstrates that some designs from the London office Future Systems can keep pace with car manufacturers. They have to grapple with more challenges than ordinary architects, but the best engineers from Ove Arup help them overcome these. Kaplický's services were already utilized by the icon of motorsport in solving their exhibition displays in 2001. Designers of Italian cars often place beauty and design over practicality and function. According to Jan Kaplický, architecture should primarily be beautiful. This will suit the Italian nature well and will not harm the typology of the Modern museum.

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The Maserati Museum has nestled next to the Enzo Ferrari house from the late 19th century and is largely embedded underground. The entrance to the not-so-large museum, both in scale and height, is through a curved and slanted glass wall that pulls you into the exhibition space. The glass facade is additionally divided by horizontal bands, reminiscent of the front grille of Maserati cars. Roof skylights resembling fish gills are oriented to the north and flood the interior with diffused daylight. The walls and floors flow seamlessly into one another and are made of fine white terrazzo. The striking and embracing space offers a perfect environment for the successes and fineness of the Maserati collections to shine.