Build the museum in its setting without disturbing the landscape: that was the challenge for the architect Christophe Lab, who succeeded in creating a historical site in constant dialogue with one of the most emblematic commemorative sites on the territory. Chosen to give a setting to the size of the project, the architect chose to interpret this by using large spaces. The new museum facilities cover 7000 m2: 3000 m2 for the permanent exhibition, 300 m2 for temporary exhibitions, 2 halls for school visits and discovery workshops, a 115-seat auditorium, a documentation centre that includes over 8.000 works, a café, a bookshop, and a gift shop. The building meets the needs of a great museum of the 21st century.
A roofed square formed by the building’s underbelly leads to the museum entrance. A transition from exterior to interior, this covered area is equipped for projection of images on its flooring. It also enables visitors to catch glimpses of parts of the collection through windows (“display skylights”) in the spaces underpinned by the building. Luminous patios punctuate the path, lighting the way from the covered square to the entrance hall. Visitors are immediately immersed in the scenography, through partly visible features of the museography awaiting them on the upper floor.
The floor of the square is an immense relief map of the North-East of France, and can act as a ground for large-scale projections depicting troop movements and variations in the front line during the 1914 and 1918 Battles of the Marne. Leaving the square, visitors are directed to a luminous glassed reception hall containing the cafe and auditorium entrance. A huge ramp then takes them to the upper level of the hall. The ascent takes them past the shop to the ticket office, and finally to the exhibition itself.
Covering 3.000 m2, the museum displays the extraordinary collection built up over a number of years by Jean-Pierre Verney, an acknowledged expert on the First World War.
With the aim of becoming the entry point for the pathways of memory on the first world-wide conflict, it is set at the foot of the USA monument commemorating the Battles of the Marne of 1914 and 1918.
This exceptionnal collection of almost 50.000 objects and documents “expresses emotion, lassitude, anger, pride, separation, and a large part of the visible or obscured facets of the event ” (Jean-Pierre Verney).
Fact Sheet
Partners in charge and scenery: Atelier Christophe Lab
Technical and scientific coordination: Agence Crépin, Bruno Crépin
BET Multimedia : Anamnésia, Simon Sappa
Lighting Designer: Attention Mouvement, Jean-François Saliéri
Composer and Sound Design : Luc Martinez
Graphics and signage : Gérard Plénacoste
Urban planing and VRD : Cabinet Greuzat
Landscape : Agence Territoire
Specialist Conservation and Reserves : FL&Co, Frédéric Ladonne
HQE and environmental approach : Prévention Consultants
BET Structure : RFR GO+
BET Thermal et Plumbing : Capet
BET Electricity and SSI : Bethem
BET acoustic : Peutz et associés
qualified as an architect in 1977, at UP6. Winner of the 1991 “Albums de la Jeune Architecture”, in 2000 he published “Ready-Made Urbains” (Editions Picard), with a preface by Paul Virilio. The same year, he teamed up with Cécile Courtey to build his agency and home at 21 rue de Tanger, Paris 19th Arrondissement. Atelier Lab has been responsible for a wide variety of projects: water towers (Burie), schools (ENSCI, Nazelles), hospital departments (Dole), and such technical projects as the helistation with terraced refuelling at Dreux General Hospital (the first of its kind in France), footbridges (over the Oise in Guise) and the redevelopment of the Amiens Nord Business Park. It has also carried out such small-scale emblematic projects as Maison Alpha in Nanterre, Maison Caravane in rue de l’Ermitage, Paris, and Maison-Film, also in Paris.
