Alesia Museum and Archaeological Park, Alise Sainte Reine Building, French Architecture

Alesia Museum and Archaeological Park, France

French Education Building design by Bernard Tschumi Architects

9 Apr 2013

Alésia MuséoParc

Location: Alise Sainte Reine, France

Design: Bernard Tschumi Architects

photo : Iwan Baan

Alesia Museum and Archaeological Park

This project marks an archeological site in central France and commemorates a historic battle between Julius Caesar and the Gauls in 52 B.C. The new museum recreates battlements and earthworks and provides historical interpretation for the area, which consists of several sites spread over a valley containing a small medieval town.

photos : Iwan Baan

The program required two separate but related structures. The first building is the 8000m2 interpretive center located at the Roman position in the fields below the town. A future museum will be located at the position at the top of the hill above the town that was occupied by the Gauls during the siege.

The local authorities and historians wanted both buildings to appear as unobtrusive as possible in their respective contexts. Visitors can view the surrounding landscape much as the Gauls did or look onto reconstructions of the Roman battlements. A keen awareness of the surrounding landscape as it pertains to the historic battle is integral to the visitor’s experience.

photos : Iwan Baan

Because the interpretive center exists on a battlefield, the architecture was designed to engage with its surroundings in a more direct way than most buildings. The roof is planted with approximately 300 birch and oak trees in a landscaped green roof, designed to place the building in dialogue with the landscape, and to appear as unobtrusive as possible when viewed from the historical position of the French army on the plateau a short distance away.

The facade of the building is a lattice of Larch wood, a renewable building material native to the region. The facade recalls the fortification techniques of the Roman army, which would have made use of available materials. The wood filters light and reduces heat gain from the large glass facades, which were important for views onto the historical battlefields.

Alesia Museum and Archaeological Park images / information from Bernard Tschumi Architects

Alesia Museum Building : further information on this building

Alesia Museum France design : Bernard Tschumi architects

Location: Alise Sainte Reine, France, western Europe