The Lalique Museum opened in July 2011 on the site of the Hochberg Glassworks. It was designed by French architects Wilmotte & Associés, renowned for their work on the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Integrating the historical with the contemporary
The concept was to provide an elegant and sober receptacle to house the museum’s exceptional collections, in perfect harmony with the natural and architectural environment. The architecture takes the original buildings as its starting point, while the new building is semi-buried, with a green roof that provides a visual extension of the neighbouring forest. Glass galleries link the various spaces, opening onto the Northern Vosges mountains on one side and onto a Japanese-inspired indoor garden.
State of the art architecture
An important feature of the design is the large windows that provide a sense of continuity between inside and out. Wilmotte & Associés worked with Ducks Sceno on the interior design, the aim being purity and simplicity. The display areas are intentionally dark, with the transparency and detail of the objects enhanced by directional lighting. To put the works in context, there are spaces where visitors can view video presentations dedicated to specific events or subjects such as the 1900 Exposition Universelle.
A 21st century museum
The Lalique Museum has all the services and facilities associated with a contemporary museum, including a shop, restaurant, auditorium and cloakroom and has easy access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
