REIMS – London-based David Chipperfield Architects has won a competition to realize the new Musée des Beaux-arts in Reims, France.
The proposed structure will be divided into three rectangular volumes that will be topped with pitched gable-like roofs. A translucent façade will be bolstered in marble slabs and rise with ceramic glass panels toward the top.
The museum will literally be rooted in history: at its base rests an archaeological excavation site. Inside, a 12m-high atrium area will open to overlook the site, creating a transition zone between exterior and interior, past and present.
From the atrium, visitors can travel to exhibition rooms; collections will be displayed in chronological order from the basement upwards. In total, the structure will span 14,000-sq-m.
Renderings © David Chipperfield Architects
Musée des Beaux-arts by David Chipperfield Architects
