Re-Orient Museum
Thy Pham — Interior Architect · Bacoli, Italy · 2026
Adaptive reuse of the Piscina Mirabilis — the largest ancient Roman cistern — into a media-art museum where lighting tells the story of flowing water and marine life.
Images: Thy Pham — Interior Architecture Portfolio 2026 (Behance) · click any image to enlarge
- Scope
- Interior design
- Size
- 1,580 sq m
- Project type
- Adaptive reuse
- Structure
- 48 cross-shaped pillars, barrel vaults
- Work
- Individual
The Piscina Mirabilis is monumental: 70 m long, 25 m wide, 15 m high — 12,000 cubic metres of water capacity in the Augustan age, and today, emptied, closer to a temple than a tank. The museum concept breathes life into it with light and sound rather than construction.
The lighting design tells the story of flowing water and marine life — jellyfish installations drift beneath the vaults, projections simulate a water surface overhead, and 3D-printed luminous plants line the glass pathways. The scheme embraces the depth and height of the structure while preserving its textured, timeworn surfaces as a tribute to its history.
Updated 26 July 2026