Kengo Kuma Designs Protective Gallery for Angers Cathedral's Medieval Polychrome Portal
A new gallery, crafted by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has been inaugurated at Angers Cathedral in Maine-et-Loire, France, with a budget of €4.3 million, entirely financed by the French government. This structure safeguards the 12th-century polychrome portal, which still exhibits 70% of its original hues, uncovered following a cleaning in 2009. Replacing a medieval edifice that was demolished in 1807, Kuma's design emerged victorious in a competition held by the Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (Drac) des Pays de la Loire in 2019. The 11-meter-high concrete construction, supported by eight micropiles to protect archaeological sites, includes five openings for viewing the portal, while two luminaires cast gentle light to preserve the sculptures. Valérie Gaudard remarked that the project had been in the works for decades.
Key facts
- Kengo Kuma designed a new contemporary gallery for Angers Cathedral.
- The gallery protects the 12th-century polychrome portal, which retains 70% of its original polychromy.
- The portal's polychromy was revealed during a 2009 cleaning.
- The gallery replaces a medieval gallery destroyed in 1807.
- The project cost €4.3 million, fully funded by the French state.
- The structure rests on eight micropiles to protect archaeological remains, including 182 tombs.
- The gallery is made of 660 prefabricated concrete pieces, using sand from the Loire River.
- Two luminaires inside provide soft light to protect the sculptures.
Entities
Artists
- Kengo Kuma
Institutions
- Angers Cathedral
- Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (Drac) des Pays de la Loire
- Le Journal des Arts
Locations
- Angers
- Maine-et-Loire
- France
- Senlis
- Loire River