Musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges

The Limoges Museum of Fine Arts, housed in the beautiful 18^th-century Palais de l'Evêché in the heart of the Medieval city faces the modern-day city from a series of terraced gardens along the banks of the Vienne River. Its collections relate to the history, culture and influence of Limoges enamel and also collections of sculpture, paintings and drawings that are part of the city’s historical legacy and once adorned its public buildings. The path through the museum is conceived of as an indoor promenade where light and décor play a leading role in fostering moments of intensity, pause and inspiration. The light and setting play a dominant role.

Exhibition design: Fabrice Mazaud, Dubois et Associés, Paris

The challenge

The unifying concept of the project was to embrace the finely balanced original composition of the former Episcopal palace. To honor the spirit of the place, the exhibit designers strove to ensure that the interior arrangement and casework would not overwhelm the residential character of the building, While indispensable to the optimal exhibition and conservation of the collections, the exhibition design elements had to be nearly invisible, bringing into view only the works and the setting without removing anything of their essence. Though minimalist in its graphic expression, the project represents a major technical achievement of construction and conservation.

The solution

To maintain a focus on the works of art along the path through the museum and to integrate the display apparatus into the overall décor of the halls, Goppion created high-quality museum furnishings that meld seamlessly into their setting while making no compromises in terms of the technology indispensable for protecting and conserving the works. Working in collaboration with the architects and exhibit designers, Goppion applied its renowned method of prototype research to fine-tune showcases that push the envelope in exhibition technology (height adjustable, tilting supports, removable and interchangeable internal fittings, etc.). The adaptive flexibility of the resulting display apparatus represents an invaluable asset for the museum.