Arnould Oeyen Ea P33 Smal

Arnould Gaultier & Pol Oeyen

MuCo - Musée du Couteau. ULG Liège (Belgium). 

Portrait
Img 7541

The project regards the creation of a knife museum in the former hospital of Thiers. The hospital was forced to close in 1988 due to its dilapidated state and dangerous access. Since then, the building has been abandoned.

The first stage of the building's rehabilitation is its restoration. In order to preserve the existing architecture, economizing on resources and ensuring flexibility, the work involves the restoration of the existing facades and the removal of the partition walls to open up the different floors. The roof, which was in a critical condition, is also removed, to be replaced by a new system as an integral part of the project. The second stage of rehabilitation is simple and radical. The concept consists of placing the existing building under a new enveloppe, highlighting its heritage features, and creating an in-between space for the museum's circulation, techniques and alcove areas. This cloistering also enables the building to be insulated from the outside, offering a bioclimatic approach. 

The entire floor area is free of partitions, and the museum's functions are all located on the periphery of the existing building, in the alcoves created by the new envelope. They allow each space to be reinterpreted ad infinitum, and awaken creativity through their almost limitless flexibility. The new envelope is made of a metal structure and Volvic stones, a material extracted from quarries near the site. The new envelope makes the most of old-fashioned construction techniques, involving various local trades and making the project more collaborative. The project's thermal regulation is based on a natural ventilation process that takes into account the climatic conditions of the site. 

MuCo reveres Thiers' cutlery heritage while embodying innovation. It stands as an iconic edifice where history, tradition, and modernity ingeniously converge, promising an unrivaled museum experience. 

Garnou~2
Garnou~1
Garnou~1

SCHUNCK cannot guarantee the correctness of content and expression. The participants themselves are responsible for their entries. The copyright of the projects underlies to the authors, any reproduction or use of the shown material is strictly forbidden.