Layers of coloured concrete that resemble rock stratifications enclose the Narbo Via museum designed by British architecture studio Foster + Partners in southern France.
Raised on a podium close to the Canal de la Robine in Narbonne, the museum is used for the display of Roman artefacts found in the town that was once a major Roman port.
Foster + Partners has used coloured concrete for the walls of Narbo Via. The photo is by Philippe Chancel
Foster + Partners designed the Narbo Via museum with a minimalist low-lying form, framed by monolithic walls and an overhanging concrete roof.
Its walls, which were made by tamping down layers of coloured concrete, are intended to evoke rock stratifications and Roman concrete, nodding to the archaeological contents of the museum. The museum's exterior resembles rocks stratifications
"Roman Narbonne was a proud port city along the Mediterranean, and remains a place of significant historical importance," explained the studio's head of design Spencer de Grey.
"Our approach has been to create a simple yet flexible architectural language, one imbued with a sense of monumentality and links to history and culture ? essential for this museum of 'living' antiquity."
A concrete roof overhangs the building. The photo is by Philippe Chancel
Foster + Partners won a competition to design the museum, previously named the Musée de la Romanité Narbonne, in 2012.
According to the studio, it is hoped to become a landmark for Narbo...