Inaugurated in 1875, the Nantes natural history museum will be completely redesigned for a budget estimated at 46 million euros including tax. Three project management teams were in the final to reconfigure and enlarge this building with the characteristic architecture of the great cultural facilities of the 19th centurye century: Kengo Kuma & Associates (with Guicciardini & Magni Architetti, associate scenographer), Agence Goutal (with Nathalie Crinière) and Moatti-Rivière (with La Fabrique Créative). Alain Moatti and his team were able to reassure and seduce the jury who “unanimously” chose his project.
Socioecological issues
After the approval of the metropolitan council on June 28, studies will be able to begin in order to submit a building permit in the summer of 2025 with a view to delivery in 2028 after two years of work. “We will offer an ambitious museographic program by telling the history of the Earth from its origin to the Anthropocene with stated biases and ambitions regarding the socio-ecological transition » enthuses Philippe Guillet, director of the Museum of Nantes.
The Moatti-Rivière project will contribute to this by offering a new hybrid route including an Agora of Sciences, interface between the public and sciences. “With this new museum, we want a project committed to a world hit by the collapse of biodiversity and the climate emergencydeclared Johanna Rolland, mayor of Nantes, president of Nantes Métropole. It is a necessity in a society where scientific truths are increasingly called into question, where false ideas and fake news of all kinds are gaining ground. ».
From left to right, Fabien Roussel, Vice-President of Nantes Métropole and President of the project management jury; Alain Moatti, project architect; Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes and President of Nantes Métropole; Philippe Guillet, Director of the Museum; and Henri Joaquim, scenographer. © Jean-Philippe Defawe
Registered in the city
While the Museum has seen its attendance double in 10 years and notably experienced an exceptional year 2023 with 190,500 visitors welcomed, new surfaces will be created to accommodate more people and in better conditions. The new museum will also be fully part of the city with a ground floor functioning as a “covered public space”. “The first intention of the project is so that we can cross the building from rue Voltaire to square Louis-Bureau which should be one of the exterior rooms of the museum” explains architect Alain Moatti.
Cross-section of the project. © Moatti-Rivière
The upper floor, currently unused, will be completely redesigned with the creation of a new space made entirely of wood gained on the roof with a partial glass roof allowing natural light to be brought into the center of the nave. Visitors will access it via a monumental staircase to start the visit which will continue on the lower floors.
The facade overlooking the garden will be almost unchanged and that on rue Voltaire will house the glass roof, in reference to those of the 19th century.e century. “We stuck to the existing templates because the important thing is not to exist but to complete things to extend the story ” insists Alain Moatti.
With this new project, the space open to the public will increase from 2,200 m2 at almost 4,000 m2 which will allowto welcome nearly 350,000 visitors and double the number of objects and specimens presented.
For Johanna Rolland, with her ground floor open and son expanded museum offering“this project and will contribute to redesign part of this neighborhood “. “Potentially for tomorrow, we have a district around art and culture which is taking shape with the neighboring Dobrée museum and several galleries which have already been established,” she assures.
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