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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

LaM – Lille Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art in Villeneuve d’Ascq, France by Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

 
April 2nd, 2013 by Sumit Singhal

Article source: Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

The project concerns the refurbishment and the extension of the Lille Modern Art Museum in a magnificent park at Villeneuve d’Ascq. The existing building, designed by Roland Simounet in 1983, is already on the Historic monuments list. The project aims at building up the museum as a continuous and fluid entity, this by adding new galleries dedicated to a collection of Art Brut works, from a travelling movement that extrapolates existing spaces. A complete refurbishment of the existing building was next required, some parts were very worn.

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU 

  • Architects: Manuelle Gautrand Architecture + Yves Tougard
  • Project: LaM – Lille Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art
  • Location: Allée du Musée, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
  • Photography: Max Lerouge – LMCU, Philippe Ruault & Vincent Fillon
  • Client: Lille Métropole Communauté Urbaine
  • Firms Involved at Architect’S Side:
    Museography : Renaud Pierard,
    Structures : Khephren
    Fluids : Alto,
    Economist : LTA (studies phase) , Guesquière-Dierickx (works phase)
    Multimedia : Roger Labeyrie
    Fire security : Casso
  • Other Firms:
    Refurbishing works of the existing building’s façade and roofing: Etienne Sintive,
    Landscaper : AWP
    Roofing / Finishings:: Tommasini
  • Figures:
    Surface : 11.600 sqm, including the extension : 3.200 sqm –  exhibition surface: 4.000 sqm
    Global cost : around 30 millions euros inclusive of tax
    Dates : 2002 : design contest, 2003-2005 : studies, 2006-2009 : works, 09/2010 : museum opening

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

In spite of the heritage monument status of Simounet’s construction, rather than set up at a distance, we immediately opted to seek contact by which the extension would embrace the existing buildings in a supporting movement. I tried to take my cue from Roland Simounet’s architecture, ‘to learn to understand’, so as to be able to develop a project that does not mark aloofness, an attitude that might have been seen as indifference.

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

The architecture of the extension wraps around the north and east sides of the existing arrangement in a fan-splay of long, fluid and organic volumes. On one side, the fan ribs stretch in close folds to shelter a café-restaurant that opens to the central patio; on the other, the ribs are more widely spaced to form the five galleries for the Art brut collection.

Image Courtesy © Philippe Ruault

The Art brut galleries maintain a strong link with the surrounding scenery, but they are also purpose-designed to suit the works that they house: atypical pieces, powerful works that you can’t just glance at in passing. The folds in these galleries make the space less rigid and more organic, so that visitors discover art works in a gradual movement. The architecture is partly introverted, to protect art works that are often fragile and that demand toned down half-light.

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

At the extremity of the folds – meaning the galleries – a large bay opens magnificent views onto the surrounding parkland, adding breathing space to the visit itinerary. These views make up for the half-light in the galleries: the openwork screens in front of the bays mediate with strong light and parkland scenery, a feature that recalls Simounet’s generous arrangements in the galleries that he designed. Envelopes are sober: smooth untreated concrete, with mouldings and openwork screens to protect the bays from too much daylight. The surface concrete has a slight colour tint that varies according to intensity of light.

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Vincent Fillon

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Vincent Fillon

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image Courtesy © Max Lerouge – LMCU

Image courtesy Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

Image courtesy Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

Image courtesy Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

Image courtesy Manuelle Gautrand Architecture

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Categories: Art Center, Museum




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