A rendering of the new Audemars Piguet museum extension scheduled to open in 2019. |
In 2014, Audemars Piguet announced the results of an
ambitious architectural contest for the extension of its museum, a project
known as the “Maison des Fondateurs.” The winning design, submitted by the
Danish architectural firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), takes the form of a spiral
emerging from the ground. Its walls are made entirely of curved glass and it is
linked to the older Audemars Piguet building which was the original Audemars
family home.
Two years of studies and preliminary work were necessary for
this extremely complex design. “Our first challenge was to assemble the best
partners, as it became apparent very quickly that no similar building had ever
been built at this altitude,” says Sébastian Vivas, director of the Audemars
Piguet Heritage Museum. Engineers, architects and museum designers searched for
innovative solutions, both in terms of scenography and the building’s structure
and resistance to the climatic conditions. A life-size prototype of part of the
spiral was also constructed and set up in the Vallée de Joux.
A rendering of the Maison des Fondateurs' interior. |
Practical work on the “Maison des Fondateurs” started at the
end of August 2016. A battery of mechanical diggers, huge drills and other
machines went into action around the older Audemars Piguet building where the
museum is currently located. Several months of specialist work will be required
to prepare the site before the first stone is laid: reinforcing the ground by
drilling, constructing retaining walls, moving pipes, earthworks, etc.
The project is taking shape, although it will be some time
before the 2,800 m2 of the new building emerge from the ground.
The Schedule
The announcement of the start of work also presents an
opportunity to provide a reminder of the project's main stages, although these
dates are dependent on the weather:
- September 2016 to spring 2017: preparatory earthworks and ground preparation.
- Spring – summer 2017: first stone laid, structural work.
- Summer – autumn 2017: curved glass walls fitted, then metal roof.
- Winter 2017-2018 and spring 2018: interior technical systems, heating, ventilation, electricity, finishing work.
- Summer – winter 2018: watchmaking workshops fitted in the Spiral, museum displays installed. At the same time, transformation of the interior of the historic building.
- Spring 2019: opening of the “Maison des Fondateurs.”
The Partners
BIG, CCHE, Atelier Brückner - The Danish architectural firm
BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) is the creator of the project's spiral architecture
and was selected for its creativity and sensitivity to the environment, after
an invitation for design proposals was issued to several local and
international firms of architects.
CCHE was designated as the project’s local architect and
general planner. This important player from the Lake Geneva region has skills
in town planning and architecture and will work in a cross-disciplinary way to
monitor the project and ensure a flow of information between stakeholders,
collaboration with the authorities, quality control and the execution of work.
Prof. Uwe R. Brückner |
An expert in museum design, Atelier Brückner is the partner
selected by Audemars Piguet to manage all the scenography, staging and
showcasing of the timepieces, lighting and creation of the site visit. The
German firm will bring the whole atmosphere of the new Museum to life.
“Allowing each space to express its own special atmosphere,
conjuring up images, creating scenes, inviting visitors on a journey and
telling them a wonderful story, the story of Audemars Piguet and the
watchmakers of the Vallée de Joux, this is the scenography work that we will
carry out for the “Maison des Fondateurs.” says Prof. Uwe R. Brückner.
Introductory Route
The future “Maison des Fondateurs” will blend perfectly into
the Vallée de Joux. The museum's historic building, which dates back to 1868,
will be retained, enhanced and linked to a radically contemporary, half-buried
structure.
A curved glass wall will allow a view of the Vallée de Joux's landscape. |
The basis of the visit will be an introductory route
following a spiral path. Visitors will cross several themed spaces where they
will discover the origins of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, the mechanical
principles of the timepieces and an exceptional collection of world premier
enamel complication watches. A number of exceptional watches will be on
display, many of which will illustrate the story of design and including, of
course, the iconic Royal Oak.
Exhibition rooms will alternate with watchmaking workshops,
relaxation spaces, sound and cinema laboratories and contemporary art, making
the “Maison des Fondateurs” first and foremost a place for meeting, experiencing
and sharing. There will also be reception and meeting spaces and an area
devoted to the professional preservation of the archives and the Audemars
Piguet Foundation.
Audemars Piguet invites you to the laying of the first stone
in the spring of 2017!
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