New York firm Steven Holl Architects is has won an international design competition for the Angers Collectors Museum and adjacent hotel in western France.
The titanium-white concrete structure is set within a series of reflecting pools, referencing the history of the site, which was once part of the river.
The 4,742 sq m museum will include galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions, an atrium event venue and spaces for art education and art storage. It will share a rooftop restaurant with the hotel.
The hotel’s design is inspired by the 14th-century Apocalypse Tapestry, which is on display at the Chateau d’Angers.
A façade with a mixture of clear and translucent glass aims to invoke the tapestry.
Described by Steven Holl Architects as a "cultural gateway for the city", the project will be located on the east bank of the Maine river and across from the Chateau d’Angers, built by Louis IX between 1228 and 1238 on the foundations of a ninth-century fortress. It is also adjacent to the city’s largest theatre, Le Quai.
Images courtesy of Steven Holl Architects
