This order was received back in 1998 by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. He proposed building a hall of steel and stone that would occupy the entire small square of Piazza del Grano east of the museum building, in stark contrast to the 16th century palace designed by Giorgio Vasari.
All 6 years after the publication of Isozaki's proposal, there were heated discussions in Italy about the feasibility of its implementation, the importance of preserving traditions and the ability of the Florentine authorities to build new buildings, examples of high-quality modern architecture.
Excavations began in Piazza Grano last year, revealing the remains of medieval buildings that predate the Palazzo Uffizi. Despite the fact that, according to the archaeologists working there, the finds should not interfere with the construction, Minister Urbani said that they played a decisive role in the decision to cancel it. Isozaki must now revise his project by June of this year to include the remains of ancient structures. It remains unclear whether the architect's plan will be implemented even if he meets all the conditions, since many supporters of the project suspect that the main reasons are not cultural, but political ones.
