The Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle and the Musée des Antiquités in Rouen are undergoing a major architectural and museographic renovation. This transformation reimagines the entire site, merging the two institutions into a single facility managed by the Réunion des Musées Métropolitains.
The project establishes a new urban and landscape identity, enhancing the museum’s appeal, improving visitor access and comfort, and making the site more legible and open to the city.
The design focuses on creating a fluid, welcoming, and safe circulation for all visitors. The site is conceived as a vegetated urban oasis, providing a green breathing space within the city and contributing to local renaturation efforts. Vegetation plays a structuring role, organizing spaces and uses while promoting biodiversity. Around the main building, a series of thematic gardens forms a mosaic of discoverable areas: educational gardens, play zones, terraces, and relaxation spaces.
A more minimal central lawn highlights the architecture and serves as a flexible area for temporary exhibitions, cultural events, or public gatherings. Life-filled spaces are arranged along the urban passageway, alternating between shade and light, creating a gentle transition between the museum and the city. The project offers a sensitive and evolving experience, where heritage, nature, and culture interact in harmony, making the museum a living, open, and sustainable destination.
