ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Plateforme 10: Losanna's New Museum District Opens

architecture-design · 2026-04-27

In Lausanne, the cultural district known as Plateforme 10 encompasses three museums: the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA), Mudac, and Musée de l'Elysée (Photo Elysée). The MCBA, which was inaugurated in October 2019, was crafted by EBV Estudio Barozzi Veiga. A second structure, completed in June 2021 and designed by Manuel Aires Mateus and Rui Furtado, now accommodates Mudac and Photo Elysée. This development revitalized a former railway depot, made possible through a land exchange with Swiss Federal Railways. Mudac's director, Chantal Prod'hom, highlighted the distinct design competitions. The building boasts a white exterior, a cave-like entrance, and significant photographic collections, with the entire project costing 102 million Swiss francs, funded by the Canton of Vaud, donations, and the City of Lausanne.

Key facts

  • Plateforme 10 is a new museum district in Lausanne uniting MCBA, Mudac, and Photo Elysée.
  • MCBA opened in October 2019, designed by EBV Estudio Barozzi Veiga.
  • The second building, by Manuel Aires Mateus and Rui Furtado, opened in June 2021.
  • The site was a former railway depot of over 25,000 square meters.
  • Photo Elysée (formerly Musée de l'Elysée) has 3,800 square meters and three climate-controlled reserves.
  • Mudac has 1,580 square meters, doubling its previous space.
  • Christian Marclay created installations for the opening weekend on November 6-7, 2021.
  • The building cost 102 million Swiss francs.

Entities

Artists

  • Manuel Aires Mateus
  • Rui Furtado
  • Pierre Charpin
  • Chantal Prod'hom
  • Tatyana Franck
  • Christian Marclay
  • Bob Wilson
  • Thierry Barbier-Mueller
  • Charlie Chaplin
  • René Burri
  • Ella Maillart

Institutions

  • Plateforme 10
  • Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA)
  • Mudac
  • Musée de l'Elysée
  • Photo Elysée
  • EBV Estudio Barozzi Veiga
  • Tectona Paris
  • Swiss Federal Railways
  • Canton of Vaud
  • City of Lausanne
  • Biennale di Venezia
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Lausanne
  • Switzerland
  • Lisbon
  • Portugal
  • Paris
  • France

Sources