When we met the new director of Rouen’s museums at a press briefing (see article), he told us about the "vast architectural and museographic renovation project" for the two museums in the rue Beauvoisine (ill. 1), the Musée des Antiquités (ill. 2) and the Museum of Natural History (ill. 3), now known as the "Beauvoisine Project".
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- 1. Entrance facade
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
At the time, we were far from suspecting the heritage disaster that was threatening, on the pretext of modernising two museums, both the building that houses them and the museography, which is of such interest that it should, on the contrary, be preserved.
We have been alerted on several occasions by correspondents, including Frédéric Épaud, director of research at the CNRS and a member of the Commission Régionale de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine de Normandie, who has published several articles on the subject [1]. We were also able to visit the site, thanks to the kindness of the metropole and the museum management, to understand the project and see how it was actually harmful.
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- 2. A room in the Rouen Musée des Antiquités
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The idea was to create a single museum from two: the Antiquities Museum, with its artistic and archaeological collections ranging from the Gallo-Roman era to the Renaissance, and the Natural History Museum, with collections ranging from fossils to naturalised animals. All of this is to be achieved by retaining only one gallery, known as the Mammals Gallery, from the museum’s current museography, with everything else being redesigned in line with contemporary developments, with a lot of digital mediation. The ambition is therefore clear, but it is no less absurd. On the one hand, because there is no real link between natural history collections and archaeology and antiquities collections, and on the other, because it involves considerable and unjustified destruction.
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- 3. A room in the Rouen Natural History Museum
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
We have read the scientific and cultural project, which attempts to demonstrate coherence between the two museums. If we can accept the idea of showing fossils from the Rouen region as the beginning of the museum’s history, which would then be continued by archaeology, right up to the Renaissance, how can we include the scientific collections in this project? This is obviously impossible.
The three sections that follow the one devoted to the Renaissance, which is illustrated mainly by works of art, therefore make little sense: "1550-XVIII century. The Normans beyond the seas", "A century of epistemology in the natural and human sciences (1828 - 1950)" and "Interdependence between living beings (1980 - 21st century)". Building up the natural history collections becomes the pretext, and the sole reason, for continuing the archaeology museum into the 21st century. There is absolutely no logic to any of this. An absurd scientific project has been created for the sole purpose of merging the two museums into one, and consecrating the disappearance of museography.
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- 4. Future main entrance to the museum.
The 17th-century porch, already adorned with calicoes, will be hidden by wooden architecture (see ill. 5)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 5. Future entrance with wooden architecture covering the 17th-century porch
© Persevoir-Duplat-CBA-RRC-Ateliers A.Rispal - See the image in its page
As soon as you arrive at the museum, and stand in front of the main façade (ill. 1), a number of things go wrong. The building, which dates back to the 17th century and part of which - the cloister - is a classified historic monument, has had two old porches added to it since its creation in 1828, one of which dates back to the 17th century (ill. 4). Nowadays, we’re told, "people are looking for the entrance". According to the architect, it was therefore necessary to clearly mark the entrance and "re-establish a reception area worthy of a today’s museum"... If the poor visitors couldn’t find it themselves (we don’t know how they did it until now, and how many people gave up because they couldn’t find the entrance...), it was decided to build it around the pretty 17th-century portal (ill. 5). Admittedly, this was brought back when the museum was created in the 1830s. But it is both a work belonging to the collections and an architectural element forming part of the museum’s history. What’s more, the porch is perfectly integrated into the façade, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was born with it. This will obviously no longer be the case once it is surrounded by the contemporary entrance.
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- 6. The current entrance with its neoclassical aedicula, which will be removed
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 7. Nineteenth-century staircase condemned to destruction by the project
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 8. Nineteenth-century staircase condemned to destruction by the project
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Similarly, another porch had been added to the façade, to its right, in the 1860s, the source of which is unknown (ill. 6). This aedicula will be "removed" and stored. Needless to say, we won’t be seeing it again any time soon, even though it fits in perfectly with the architecture of which it is now a part.
When you enter the building through the public entrance, you come to a beautiful 19th-century staircase (ill. 7 and 8). The staircase has been condemned to destruction, the first unacceptable act of vandalism. Whatever the explanations given for the "circulation" in the new museum, and even accepting the idea of merging the two establishments, it is the museum that must adapt to the monument that houses it, and certainly not the other way round. The wrought-iron gate and the elegant design of the staircase are strong arguments in favour of its preservation.
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- 9. 17th-century cloister, listed monument, current state
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 10. Wing of the cloister rebuilt in the 1950s that will be demolished
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Let’s now turn our attention to the cloister (ill. 9). This is the only classified part of the monument, which once again demonstrates the incredible under-protection of French heritage. It is in fact the whole building that should have been protected - no doubt excluding the part built in the 1950s (ill. 10), in place of one of the sides of the cloister.
The cloister is in a sorry state of repair and is in dire need of restoration. It is to be hoped that this will be well done under the direction of Richard Duplat, chief architect of historic monuments. There is cause for concern, however, given the need to meet increasingly stringent standards, which he told us will require him to partially rebuild the floors and the structure, in order to strengthen the whole. This is a technical aspect that we won’t dwell on.
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- 11. View of the 17th-century cloister, a classified historic monument, as it will be transformed by the project (and one wonders what purpose a classification serves).
© Persevoir-Duplat-CBA-RRC-Ateliers A.Rispal - See the image in its page
This cloister, despite its classified status, is going to be totally denatured by its roofing and by the construction of a multi-storey building built in place of the 1950s section. We won’t be mourning the latter, but wouldn’t it have been simpler - and more environmentally friendly at a time when everyone is talking about the word, only to forget about it - to preserve the former?
We leave it to readers to judge whether the new architecture will respect this listed cloister (ill. 11). In our opinion, it will be vandalised. Although it could have been carefully and sensibly restored, its transformation into an exhibition hall will rob it of all its charm. Covering interior courtyards has become almost the rule (Hôtel de la Marine, Château de Villers-Cotterêts...), allowing additional square metres to be gained on the cheap. This should remain the exception, although there are successful examples such as the sculpture courtyards at the Louvre.
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- 12. 17th-century staircase to be destroyed (sorry, dismantled and stored...)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 13. 17th-century staircase to be destroyed (sorry, dismantled and stored...)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Alas, our visit is far from over, and so is the destruction. On the ground floor is the Museum of Antiquities. It seems that the few old display cases (ill. 2) will be preserved, and we can hope that the refurbishment will be done properly.
On the other hand, another staircase, even more precious than the 19th-century one, is to be "dismantled" and "stored", in other words destroyed (ill. 12 and 13). It dates from the 17th century, and the photos amply demonstrate that it is a historic monument that should also have been classified. Here, even more than with the façade and cloister, is a very pure case of official vandalism: the demolition of a beautiful seventeenth-century staircase. Once again, the reasons given are: there’s no other way. Of course, there is always another way, and if this staircase had been classified, it would have been preserved. Destroying a seventeenth-century staircase on the pretext of creating a museum - what could be a more intolerable paradox?
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- 14. View of the garden from rue Louis Ricard
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 15. View of the garden from rue Louis Ricard
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 16. View of the garden from rue Louis Ricard
with the grille that has to be "lowered".
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
To the rear of the building, overlooking Rue Louis Ricard, is a garden with many remains in poor condition (ill. 14 and 15). They will be restored, which is good. But how many will be returned to their rightful place? This is not very clear. Similarly, the grille that closes off the space was supposed to disappear; that was in the competition brief. Because "there was a real need to create a breathing space between the street and the park" (sic). You’d think you were in Paris, especially as all this would be "the result of consultations with local residents". While there is no longer any question of removing the nineteenth-century gates (ill. 16), there is now talk of "lowering" them (i.e. removing them and creating new ones)... It’s hard to see how higher gates would prevent people from entering an open gate. It just doesn’t make sense. It seems that the decision has not yet been taken, but we hope that the gates will be kept as they are today.
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- 17. Building housing the faculties of medicine and pharmacy (not included in the project)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 18. Building housing the faculties of medicine and pharmacy (not included in the project)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Opposite the museum, but within the grounds, are buildings (ill. 17) that were once occupied by the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. One auditorium is still preserved, and another was dismantled a long time ago and is now used as a storeroom. Another building has been condemned and we were unable to enter (ill. 18). We are told that for budgetary reasons it is impossible at the moment to restore them and include them in the project, which is very surprising. In 2006, a project costing €24 million was envisaged, which included these buildings. Even allowing for inflation and the fact that the condition of the buildings has deteriorated since then, and even if, as the metropolis told us, this was only the assessment of a "programmist" and not a costing by the companies, it’s hard to understand how we’ve now arrived at a forecast figure of 68 million euros [2]. Or rather, it is understandable if we take into account the destruction and reconstruction planned, and the existing museography which, instead of simply being restored, will be almost entirely destroyed to create a contemporary tour.
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- 19. Gallery known as the Mammal Gallery (the only one to have been preserved and restored in its original state)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
For this is perhaps one of the most questionable, not to use the word "scandalous", aspects of this project: the disappearance of the museography of a museum dating back to the 19th century, whose interest is almost as great as that of the collections it showcases. You have to take a walk around these premises to understand their charm, which acts like a journey back in time. It is certainly one of the last museums of this type still in existence in France, and it deserves to be protected as a historic monument. That’s not to say that it won’t evolve at all; that’s always possible on the margins, and there’s nothing to stop you installing a few digital devices from time to time, for example. But there is no justification for the vandalism - and very costly vandalism at that - that is about to take place.
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- 20. Part of the spiral staircase in the Mammals gallery that will be preserved
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 21. Part of the spiral staircase in the gallery above the Mammals gallery. All will be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Quoting Frédérice Épaud: "Besides the wealth of collections, this Museum has managed to preserve the spirit of the place and the atmosphere of the 19th century, with all of its original blown glass display cases, its labels handwritten by the first curators, its old creaking floors, and the old wooden staircases that give this place a unique charm, an unparalleled atmosphere, which have inspired great writers such as Gustave Flaubert, Jules Michelet, Guy de Maupassant and more recently Philippe Delerm. [...] A stroll through the old-fashioned, poetic charm of the museum and discover strange animals, masks from African societies, prehistoric carved flints and many other curiosities from all over the world, souvenirs of the far-flung expeditions of 19th-century explorers and adventurers, which continue to amaze young and old alike. [...] Because it’s this authenticity that makes this place so magical, the old-fashioned, romantic charm of the old shop windows and wooden floors that generations and generations of Rouennais have walked on since it opened to the public in 1834. It’s the memory of the place and its age that make it such a success today with a very wide public".
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- 22. A modern, uninteresting staircase, but one that will be kept because it does not get in the way.
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
We first enter the Mammals gallery (ill. 3 and 19). This, as we said earlier, is the only one whose layout will be preserved! This is obviously a very poor concession, all the more so because while the section of the spiral staircase that runs through it will be preserved (ill. 20), the section on the upper floor will also be ruthlessly destroyed (ill. 21). Once again, we are given reasons relating to safety and standards, but standards are a useful pretext: once again, we are trying to adapt the monument to what we want to do with it, rather than the other way round. And if all this were classified, as it should be, solutions would be found. At the Musée Beauvoisine, they definitely don’t like staircases, with the exception of the very recent one (ill. 22) at the end of this gallery, which is of no great architectural interest, and which will be the only one kept because it doesn’t get in the way!
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- 23. One of the Museum’s galleries to be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 24. One of the Museum’s galleries to be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 25. One of the Museum’s galleries that will be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 26. One of the Museum’s galleries that will be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 27. One of the Museum’s galleries, which will be demolished for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
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- 28. One of the Museum’s galleries (with dioramas) that will be demolished for the
for the new museography
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Let’s be quick: all the other galleries with old museography will be demolished to make way for a new contemporary scenography. This is a veritable "museum within a museum", bearing witness to the development of a natural history museum over time, right down to the most recent rooms (dating from 1959) containing dioramas, only some of which will be preserved. We reproduce here various illustrations of the rooms that will disappear (ill. 23 to 28), if this project goes ahead, without being able to be exhaustive because the top floor was inaccessible. Nevertheless, we reproduce here an old photo (published in the journal Patrimoine Normand (No. 62, 2007) (ill. 29), showing one of the ethnography rooms under the attic, which led to a terrace with a fine view over Rouen. We therefore wonder about the creation of a "belvedere" also planned in the project (ill. 30).
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- 29. Ethnography room (at the back, terrace with a view over Rouen)
Photo taken from the journal Patrimoine Normand (No. 62, 2007) - See the image in its page
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- 30. The belvedere built into the project,
overlooking the cloister
© Persevoir-Duplat-CBA-RRC-Ateliers A.Rispal - See the image in its page
Destroying several remarkable staircases, removing a historic museography, damaging an old façade, adding contemporary architecture, spending a lot of money on these destructive works without restoring, for budgetary reasons, buildings (those of the faculties of medicine and pharmacy) that would make it possible to gain the additional square metres needed - these are all the paradoxes of this operation. It’s time to return to reason and to a project that respects the monument and the two museums it contains.