the Temple of Mithras, London

Art and Monuments
Written By Marco Fazio

granite panels for an ancient monument

The Roman temple of Mithras is located underneath the Bloomberg's new European Headquarters in the City of London, which was awarded the 2018 RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture.

Discovered in 1954 during a bomb site clearance, the temple was dismantled and temporarily reconstructed on a site about 100 m away. When the site was made safe again, and before the new building was constructed, Bloomberg undertook the restoration of the temple to its original location and created a free public museum giving access to it.

We were subcontracted by PAYE to inscribe lettering and a representation of original planimetry onto black granite panels. The panels, supplied by PAYE, were placed at the entrance to the archaeological site.

The carved inscriptions give the historical information and a timeline of the various depths as you descend the stairs to the Roman temple, which now lies seven metres below the surface.

project details

  • client: Bloomberg L.P.

  • general contractor: PAYE Stonework & Restoration Ltd.

  • material: black granite

Marco Fazio

Marco Joe Fazio is Chief Creative Officer and Director of Photography at space+style™ by Marco Joe Fazio Ltd, where he leads visual storytelling, photography, cinematography and content strategy for clients across hospitality, food & drink, fashion, architecture and design.

Born and raised in Tuscany, Italy, Marco discovered photography at an early age through traditional film and darkroom printing. Before becoming a full-time photographer, he spent two decades working in architecture, interior architecture and lighting design, founding an award-winning practice and leading multidisciplinary teams on projects for international fashion brands.

After moving to London in 2008, Marco became a Chartered Architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), combining his architectural background with a distinctive photographic approach that connects people, spaces and brands through visual storytelling.

His work has been recognised with the Fellowship of the British Institute of Professional Photography (FBIPP), together with the prestigious Peter Grugeon Award for Best Fellowship of the Year in 2016. He is also a member of the Association of Photographers (AOP).

Today, Marco specialises in creating strategic visual content for luxury hospitality, boutique hotels, restaurants, drinks brands, interior designers and manufacturers. His work combines commercial photography, cinematography and brand storytelling to help businesses communicate their expertise, craftsmanship and identity through compelling visual narratives.

Alongside his visual practice, Marco brings more than a decade of experience in music composition and sound engineering, enabling him to create bespoke soundtracks and immersive sound design that complement his film productions.

Education and mentoring remain central to his professional practice. He founded the telling [fashion] stories workshop series and lectures in photography and visual communication at London South Bank University (LSBU), supporting the next generation of creative professionals.

The combination of architecture, photography, filmmaking and music gives Marco a distinctive multidisciplinary perspective, allowing him to create work that is visually refined, emotionally engaging and strategically aligned with each client's brand.

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