A garden for museum of primitive arts; an over review on “Branly garden” designed by Gilles Clement

Document Type : Review

Author

PH.D candidate in architecture, university of Grenoble

Abstract

The Musée Des Arts Premiers (the Primitive Arts Museum) was established in the summer of 1998 upon the request of the President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac as a place to promote dialog among cultures and display the forgotten civilizations of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. In an agreement with the government of Lionel Jospin, Chirac chose a field of State located 29/55, Quai Branly in Paris (7th) for the implementation of the project. In the heart of Paris's museum land, neighboring the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, a few minutes from the Grand and Petit Palais, the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée du quai Branly has an exceptional location on the banks of the River Seine, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The Musée du quai Branly is an innovative cultural institution, museum, educational and research centre, and public living space all in one. Built on one of the last available sites in the heart of Paris, the architectural design of this original project is the work of Jean Nouvel. A commission was established to study the proper location, access, and city identity. It concluded the Musée du quai Branly be located on the banks of the River Seine with an area of 25,000 square meters. Designer Jean Nouvel allocated the major part of the land to open spaces and gardens. The museum complex contains several buildings and stands above the site’s surface. Gilles Clement1 was asked to design the exterior area of the Quai Branly garden. Best known as the designer of original public parks and gardens in France, Clement introduces the progression of ecology in his gardens using symbolism and metaphors as his plantings are designed to move with growth phases. “The main objective,” writes Clement, “is to encourage biological diversity, a source of wonder and our guarantee for the future.” This article is aimed at reviewing Clement’s approaches in designing this project based on his concepts in the Quai Branly Museum.

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