Buildings
Three Projects Opening in Paris
(archrecord.construction.com - 06/06/2006)
By Claire
Downey
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Click images enlarge
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| Musée de l’Orangerie |
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| Musée Quai Branly |
While Paris is home to many of the world’s
most famous museums, the list of available options rarely
grows. But this summer a major new museum, Jean Nouvel’s
Musée Quai Branly, dedicated to indigenous art, is
opening, while two exhibition spaces are re-opening after
major renovations.
Musée
de l’Orangerie
Re-opened in May, the Orangerie, built in 1852, houses Monet's
famous Nymphéas, or water lilies. Monet himself conceived
of the small vestibule leading into two elliptical rooms,
forming an infinity symbol in plan. The $35 million, six-year
renovation by Bordeaux architects Brochet-Lajus-Pueyo removed
an extra floor that had been added in the 1960's, opening
the space up with skylights. The intervention also created
32,290 square feet of underground gallery space. Construction
was slowed by the discovery of 16th-century foundation walls,
of which only 32 feet were finally preserved. The water lilies
are now accessed by a bridge, spanning a narrow atrium. The
entire first floor now acts to funnel the expected 500,000
yearly visitors into what has been called the "Sistine
Chapel of Impressionism."
Musée
Quai Branly
Not without its own construction problems due to an unstable,
riverside terrain, the $270 million Musée Quai Branly,
dedicated to indigenous art of Africa, the Americas, Oceania
and Asia opens on June 20. Architect Jean Nouvel set out hide
from view, "western" concepts of construction, creating
a 420,000-square foot partial treehouse, raised on pilotis
and curved to follow the river. Galleries, fit into multi-colored
boxes, protrude from the aluminum frame, and glass walls are
covered with a transparent photographic film depicting lush
vegetation. A garden covers most of street level, isolated
from riverside traffic by a 39-foot high, 656 -foot long,
wall of glass. Also on the Seine is the vertical garden façade
of the museum offices, designed by Patrick Blanc. Over 15,000
plants, mostly from Asia, are slipped into pockets in thick
felt, which is in turn stapled to a PVC backing. Blanc's system
is relatively lightweight, with integrated, overhead watering
to duplicate rainforest conditions.
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Decorative
Arts Museum
Across the river, yet seemingly light years away in the Marsan
wing of the Louvre, the galleries of France's Decorative Arts
museum are being renovated by Oscar Tusquets and Bruno Moinard.
The design gives a new transparency to the museum, opening
up perspectives between the palatial rooms and views onto
the Tuileries gardens. Over 5,000 pieces including furniture
by Pierre Chareau and Le Corbusier are presented on two floors.
Opening in September, the museum brings to a close the renovation
of the Louvre complex begun in the 1980's by I.M. Pei, while
new gallery additions are already being planned.
Musée de L'Orangerie
Jardins de Tuileries, 75001 Paris
www.musee-orangerie.fr
Musée des Art Decoratifs
107, Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Musée Quai Branly
www.quaibranly.fr
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