The winning project of the art museum in Reims by David Chipperfield

At the end of last year, the commission selected a quartet of architects from a total of 139 proposals (X-TU Architects, Kengo Kuma et associates, Dominique Perrault Architecture, and David Chipperfield Architects) and invited them to finalize their designs for the new Reims museum Musées des Beaux-Arts, from which the judges selected a winner in March, confirmed by the city council in mid-May.
The museum, which had been located in an old abbey near the famous Gothic cathedral, had long been insufficient in its capacities, and visitors could see only 7.5% of the total collections in the exhibition halls. For this reason, the city decided to relocate the museum to a green belt on the site of the former city walls in the historic Boulingrin district. Chipperfield's design is expected to create a prominent landmark that meets the museum's requirements for the 21st century, while also displaying the archaeological finds uncovered at the future construction site in a dignified manner.
Chipperfield's design for the Musée des Beaux-arts consists of three mutually shifted blocks with a sloped roof and a translucent façade. The museum is intended to function as a "three-aisled structure" or "radiant night object" located at the site of the Roman city gate Porte Mars. The façade of the lower part of the museum is made of thin, translucent marble panels, while the upper part consists of tiles made from recycled white glass. Wooden walkways lead from the covered archaeological excavations to the entrance foyer. The storage areas are located in two underground levels, while the exhibition halls are arranged in chronological order across three above-ground floors. The longitudinal exhibition halls are freely divisible. The museum circuit is complemented by relaxation rooms with views of the cathedral and the historic city. The majority of the exhibition halls are equipped with natural light: glazed ceilings in the highest floor allow daylight to evenly filter in, while light from the side enters the lower two levels through the translucent façade.

More information >