louvre lens by SANAA + imrey culbert now complete

‘louvre-lens museum’ by SANAA + imrey culbert + catherine mosbach, lens, franceimage © hisao suzukiall images courtesy of louvre-lens

conceived in 2003 and now complete in lens, france, is the ‘louvre-lens museum’, another venue to the paris location designed by japanese firm SANAA, new york and paris-based imrey culbert, landscape designer catherine mosbach and museographer studio adrien gardère. positioned approximately 200 kilometers north of paris, the center intends to bring touristic attention to a collection of museums within the industrial region of nord-pas de calais. maintaining the openness of the once mine works site, the 28,000 square meter building has been broken into smaller spaces to follow the gradual grade changes of the terrain. glass-enclosed galleries open perspectives across the grounds, using transparency to create cross views through public spaces. spanning 306 meters in length and following the long and curved shape of the property, a subtle distortion is generated inside without disrupting the display of artwork. anodized, polished aluminum reflects a blurred image of the undulating contours. double-insulated, full-height bays of glass bring in daylight, while a system of roll down shades protect the artwork. supporting the metal roof structure are many slim steel columns painted white.

to abandon the practice of departmentalization, a 3,000 square meter gallery called the ‘grande galerie’ will exhibit artifacts from the louvre’s collection without partitions along its 120 meter length. a 1,000 square meter glass pavilion will be a relaxing atmosphere to experience themed exhibitionswhich examine the concept of time. easily observed from the interior, the extensive park overtakes the 20 hectares of coal-mining landscape with nature, bringing a role of sustainability into the palette of artistic, social and educational roles. underground, facilities to support the daily and logistical functions.

see designboom’s original coverage of this project during schematic phase.

image © hisao suzuki