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Carré d'Art Nimes, France, Architect, Photo, Building, Architecture, Date, Image
Carré d'Art Nimes - Musée d'Art Contemporain : Photos
French Project by Foster + Partners, London, UK
Carré dArt, Nîmes, France
1984-93
Foster + Partners
photos : Nigel Young, Foster & Partners
The Carré d'Art shows how a building project, backed by an
enlightened political initiative, can not only encourage a dialogue
between ancient and modern architectures but can also provide a powerful
catalyst for reinvigorating the social and physical fabric of a city.
The challenge was to relate the new to the old, but at the same time
to create a building that represented its own age with integrity.
Address:
16 Place de la Maison Carree
30000 Nîmes, France
Mediathques exist in most French towns and cities. Typically they
embrace magazines, newspapers and books as well as music, video and
cinema. Less common is the inclusion of a gallery for painting and
sculpture. In Nmes, the interaction within the same building of these
two cultures - the visual arts and the world of information technology
held the promise of a richer totality. The urban context of Nmes also
acted as a powerful influence. The site faces the Maison Carre, a
perfectly preserved Roman temple. The challenge was to relate new
to the old, but at the same time to create a building that represented
its own age with integrity.
photos : Nigel Young, Foster & Partners
A singular modern building, yet one that references the courtyard
and terraced vernacular of the region, the Carr dArt is articulated
as a nine-storey structure, half of which is sunk deep into the ground,
keeping the buildings profile low in sympathy to the scale of the
surrounding buildings. The lower levels house archive storage and
a cinema, while above a roofed courtyard forms the heart of the building,
exploiting the transparency and lightness of modern materials to allow
natural light to permeate all floors. These upper levels are connected
by a cascading staircase, linking the toplit galleries to the shaded
roof-terrace caf overlooking a new public square.
The creation of this urban space was an integral part of the project.
Railings, advertising boards and parking spaces were removed and the
square in front of the building was extended as a pedestrianised realm.
The geometry of this piazza follows Nmes Roman grid in recreating
tree-lined streets alongside the building and providing a new setting
for the Maison Carre. Lined with caf tables and thronged with people,
the new square has reinvigorated the social and cultural life of Nmes.
Together with these urban interventions, the Carr d'Art shows how
a building project, backed by an enlightened political initiative,
can not only encourage a dialogue between ancient and modern architectures
but can also provide a powerful catalyst for reinvigorating the social
and physical fabric of a city.
Client: Ville de Nimes
Consultants: Ove Arup and Partners / OTH Mediterranee, Thorne Wheatley
Associates, OTH Mechanical, Claude R Engle, Daniel Commins, Jolyon
Drury Consultancy
Contact:
+33 4 66 67 52 40
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Carré d'Art
Nimes architect : Foster + Partners
French Architecture - Selection
Zenith Saint-Etienne Building
Foster + Partners

photo : Nigel Young
Maison at Bordeaux
Rem Koolhaas

photo: Hans Werlemann
Pierre Vives Project
Zaha Hadid

picture from ZHA
French Architect Studios
French Buildings

World Architecture : e-architect
- key buildings across the globe
Comments / photos for the Carré d'Art Nimes Building page welcome:info@e-architect.co.uk
Carré d'Art Nimes France : page - adrian
welch / isabelle lomholt |
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