The legendary and outrageous architect Frank Gehry surprised the world with a new project. This spring it is planned to open the building of the cultural center in the French city of Arles. The high-rise made of stainless steel has a very original look: the facade consists of “wavy” edges, and the building itself seems to be composed of metal bricks, as a constructor. The building is called a steel tree, a lighthouse, and a metal rock, but it is possible that after its opening they will find some more accurate nickname. In any case, this is something incredible.
The new building, officially called the Art Resource Center, or Resource for short, will open on the grounds of former railroad repair shops that have been reformatted into a cultural complex. This area is intended for the creation of experimental creative works by artists, performed in different styles, and here these works are planned to be shown to the cultural community.
The building will open as part of the Luma Arles project, which was launched by the Swiss philanthropist Maya Hoffman. By the way, Hoffman spent 100 million euros on the construction of the building designed by Frank Gehry.
This project was first shown to the general public at the Venice Architecture Biennale about 11 years ago. During this time, in the course of the implementation of the idea, it was decided to reduce the project in size. Initially, it was planned to build two towers in this place, and not one, but the local authorities considered that in this case the cultural center would block the view of the old bell tower from the Middle Ages. The building was decided to do one thing, and as a material they chose not foam aluminum, as the architect initially wanted, but stainless steel.
As the author of the project explains, he drew inspiration for his extravagant building here, in Arles: its source was the famous Roman amphitheater. A glass cylinder around the base of the new building (the diameter of the rotunda is 54 meters) sends visitors to this attraction. Also, when developing the project, Gehry was inspired by the local mountain beauties and … the works of Van Gogh, which the brilliant artist wrote in these parts. One of these works is the famous Starry Night.
An Art Resource Center, designed by Gehry, will be the centerpiece of Luma Arles. It will house archives, exhibition and presentation rooms, seminar rooms and cafes, as well as a restaurant.
The building includes the lower level of 8,700 square meters (archives, storage and programming) and the Resource Center itself, with its glazed interior and exterior (7,000 square meters).
Located on the ninth floor, a suspended terrace overlooking the Lesser Alps, the old town, the Abbey of Montmajour and other local attractions will be an excellent observation deck.
On the ground floor, there are a number of exhibition spaces dedicated to international cultural events.
Luma Arles is a cultural space where artists will have the opportunity to experiment in close collaboration with fellow painters, curators, scientists, innovators and visitors.
It also houses six historic large-scale industrial buildings, five of which are being restored by Selldorf architects for presentations, installations, exhibitions and artist residences. Another historic building, Grande Halle, was renovated in 2007 at the initiative of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
The entire campus is located in a public park designed by landscape architect Bas Smets.
Frank Gehry has always surprised with his bold projects. If you are not yet familiar with this amazing architect, winner of the Pritzker Prize, we suggest you read more about him. crazy and "human" buildings that amazed the whole world
Popular by topic
Why sinners were called "the daughters of Melusine", or the myth of the damned fairy that shaped Europe
According to ancient legend, Melusine was the daughter of a Scottish king and a fairy. As a result of the curse, she was doomed to change from a woman to a monster every Saturday. Her two legs became fish tails. The image of Melusine is ubiquitous. It is a frequent heraldic symbol. Every European nation has legends about this fairy, and many royal dynasties descend from her. Melusine's image has even become a Starbucks emblem. In the patriarchal Middle Ages, this symbol
Why brides from all over the world go to the post office of a small town: the romantic secret of the province
When you think about the most romantic places on our planet, then this small, provincial, unremarkable town is unlikely to occur to you. But he is known to lovers all over the world. The post office of this village works in the rhythm of a big city. On Valentine's Day and the wedding season, lovers from all over the world want to send congratulations to their soul mate from this particular post office. What is the secret of this American town?
How teenagers and rock 'n' roll made vaccination fashionable: King Elvis saves the world from an epidemic
The polio virus has kept millions of parents at bay for years. In America, by 1955, tens of thousands of children were infected, many were disabled. Hope came with the discovery of a vaccine against this terrible disease. But those who wanted to be vaccinated were negligible. In search of a solution to this problem, the government attracted the most popular person in the United States at that time - Elvis Presley. The king of rock and roll was able to dramatically change the opinion of all Americans (and not only) about vaccination. How did the musician manage to
Who and why plans to send a search expedition to Antarctica in 2022
Sir Ernest Shackleton's missing ship, the Endurance, has become a legend. One of the most famous ships in the world sank in the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. This happened during the unfortunate expedition of the explorer in 1914-17 and marked the end of the "heroic era" of the exploration of the ice continent. Over the years, there have been many attempts to locate the crash site, but they were all unsuccessful. A fearless scientist named John Shears is set to take another one in early 2022. Why is he t
What the Olympics looked like in the "dark ages", or Why do they think that the Middle Ages destroyed sports?
Five rings and the slogan “Faster. Above. Stronger”are integral symbols of the Olympic Games, which are almost 120 years old. Of course, their history is not limited to such a modest time period, it is much older. Contrary to popular belief that the Middle Ages was a dark time in which sports competitions did not exist, this is not at all the case. Then, too, sports flourished, and competitions were held. What the medieval Olympiad looked like, further in the review
