The Science Museum is an integral part of the redevelopment project of the former Military Establishment in Via Guido Reni in the Flaminio neighbourhood, which contributes significantly to the urban regeneration of the city and to the strengthening of cultural identity at national and international level. Set in a high-value urban context, which includes the Ponte della Musica, the Auditorium and the MAXXI with its expansion project, the new centre will have a total area of over 19,000 m2, of which 9,000 m2 will be used for exhibition spaces and 1,100 m2 will be dedicated to research.

On 4 November 2022, the City's Planning Department announced an international design competition divided into two phases. The first phase, aimed at the acquisition of ideational proposals, concluded with the presentation of 70 design proposals, among which the Commission judging panel—chaired by the internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind—selected the five finalists admitted to the next phase. The second phase was aimed at the acquisition of the 5 selected technical and economic feasibility projects, among which the Commission, in July 2023, proclaimed the winner: Science Forest by Adat Studio. 

The project is characterised by the priority given to the minimisation of the environmental impact and to the flexibility of the building. Key elements of the existing building, such as the masonry façade, will be preserved, and the internal concrete structures will be demolished and replaced. 

The winning project was the subject of a first investigative assessment process, in June 2025, useful for defining the guidelines and integrating all the preliminary indications. In August 2025, the decision-making assessment process was then launched and will be concluded by October 2025. Subsequently, the final project will be verified and validated for approval in the Capitoline Council, and the consequent assignment of the executive project and the start of the tender.