Abstract
Inaugurated in April 1900, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nantes meets all the characteristics of the ideal museum: eclectic architecture, a palatial façade, a monumental hall and staircase, a central patio that distributes all the rooms, very few openings to the outside, large galleries and remarkable zenithal lighting. It is designed to present the permanent collections. The curator is alone at the head of a team of "guardians".
However, the building lacked storage space, offices, a temporary exhibition room, a cafeteria and a boutique/bookshop. Gradually, these spaces were found, thus reducing the presentation of the permanent collections. Today, the staff numbers 80, and there was still a lack of space for the contemporary collection, which has grown considerably since the 1980s, as well as educational facilities and an auditorium.
In 2009, an international competition chose the English team Stanton-Williams to renovate and extend the museum, which will be inaugurated on June 23.
A remarkable working tool, this renovated museum must also respond to the new challenges facing museums. Temporary exhibitions have become an essential part of museum life, and all spaces must allow for the rotation of collections and the creation of events.
