ARplus: Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Musée d'Orsay, 5 Quai Anatole France, Paris

From the outside it stands just like an impressive and gorgeous railway station of the late ‘800, from the inside it reveals a museum of modern art dedicated to the “golden century”. Great masterpieces by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Gauguin, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, Van Gogh are only some of a number of other amazing pieces of art displayed at Musée d’Orsay, the French capital museum collecting the “artistic creations of western world between 1848 and 1914” regarding art, sculpture and decorative arts. Framework of such a great masterpieces is the contemporary architectural restoration as the result of the excellent makeover that turned the Gare d’Orsay into the current museum.

Top, former Gare d'Orsay - Bottom, actual museum

The former train station designed by Victor Laloux in 1898 – set for the Paris Expo of 1900 – stopped working during the 50s and in 1961 it was even about to being demolished. Nevertheless, thanks to citizens efforts and supports, the President of the Republic Valéry Giscard d’Estaig put the building under a conservative program and in 1978 he launched a public foundation for the building to be restored. Thus it was that on december 1st 1986 the new museum opened, under the presidency of Francois Mitterand. The great exterior makeover was developed by ATC – Architecture, keeping the most high respect for the original disposition as of structure and materials, while in 1980 - by means of an international competition – the interior renovation was assigned to the famous Italian architect Gae Aulenti.

"Visiting a museum pushes consciousness, the problem is to impose, almost to produce, an intellectual restlessness and not an accomplishment, because the vision of the work of art is always disturbing and it generates questions. I believe that there is no 'type of museum', but there is 'the architecture of the museum'. I think the interior of the museum is a stable whole set with a stable structure and a defined spatial configuration. " From these Gae Aulenti’s words it is possible to deduce the two criteria that were the guidelines approaching the challenging project design for the Musée d’Orsay. After this very first, other important commissions followed in time within the museum and exhibition environment.

First off the importance of the “architecture of the museum” so its “spatial configuration”, in this specific case the former train station designed by Laloux is the starting point form where to start with an accurate restoration program that has to respect the existing conditions. These are truly preserved every time that, while walking through the great masterpieces, visitors never misunderstand the true nature of the spaces and never forget that they still are walking into a train station.

Main hall at ground level

The massive golden clock on the top of the glass wall at the entrance symbolically guides travelers into the world of art, throughout the three storeys that look into the central gallery, the core of the tracks path long time ago. The itineraries are diverse and so are the spots to get amazing views of the museum. Partition walls, the art pieces backgrounds, never close up completely isles and openings, so that it is always possible glance at the original and richly decorated iron architecture, as per Belle Epoque style.

Golden clock at entrance

Partition walls

View of the main hall (former tracks path) form upper levels

The second criteria is related to the “intellectual restlessness” that comes after visiting a museum, thus the true relationship between architecture and exhibitions design. The most careful attention was given by Gae Aulenti’s team work to the list of artworks to be displayed and collocated, more then 4000, so that each one generates a unique connection between the visitor and the masterpiece. “Artworks create the true museum structure and there is not an abstract museum typology, but there is its architecture”. From such an accurate study it came a brilliant interior design, a comprehensive succession of additional halls, galleries and diversified spaces, for a whole production of more than 22,000 square meters (236,800 square fet).

The main element of unity of the whole project, which promotes the integration of the original building identity and the contemporary architecture of the interior, and that it also enhances the visual relationship with the works of art, was the lighting system elaborated together with the light designer Piero Castiglioni. The Gare d'Orsay enjoyed natural zenith lighting zenith right from the glass roof and this was certainly a feature of identity to be preserved. Furthermore, to impart the intervention even more a sense of brightness widespread, the designers decided not to directly illuminate the artworks, rather the walls on which they are exposed. At the same time, some of the rooms - dedicated to a single author or a current – either remain in the shadow or with a soft light but very suggestive, without ever annoying or making it difficult the contemplation of the works. Eventually it always ends up to an end in the airy clarity of the following visitor paths.

Artworks and lightning

Finally, the choice of light-colored limestone of Buxy for floors and walls finishings emphasizes the exhibition halls, spaces that even in their unquestioned contemporaneity are elegant and refined just like the charm of the Belle Epoque period that contextualizes works of art on display and the train station as well.

Here are just a little overview of the amazing arworks displayed at Musée d'Orsay.