Under construction since 2018, the entrance to the Musée des Augustins - building located rue de Metz in Toulouse, which has brought together important collections of painting and sculpture since 1795 – is beginning to emerge.
A new reception costing 5.2 million euros is emerging
The new reception of the Augustins museum is built on an old wing of the cloister which, before being razed in 1895, housed the school, the apothecary's shop and the Ecce Homo chapel in the 17th century. It is therefore on this side that "the concrete structure of the future entrance pavilion came out of the ground", announces the Toulouse Town Hall in a press release.
< p>On the other hand, if the biggest one is finally installed, almost 6 years before the start of the work, said structure, still hidden behind the signs, "is still waiting for its covering which will take the form of white Dordogne stone facing".
A material used far from being trivial
Otherwise called Paussac stone, it is mainly used for the restoration or construction of buildings; and slightly veined, "it will give all its personality and elegance to the architectural signature proposed by Aires Mateus".
A choice which is therefore not trivial, especially more than it harmonizes the aesthetics of the new reception pavilion with the pink bricks of Toulouse and the mineral marking present at each door and threshold of the other wings of the Musée des Augustins.
A newly constructed building to facilitate entry
If the new reception meets aesthetic criteria, it also meets accessibility standards. Indeed, future visitors will be welcomed on a tree-lined forecourt which adjoins the museum and it is by following a gentle slope that they will be able to enter the new pavilion and arrive at the ticket office.
For this renovation, no damage to the premises or no drilling was carried out since it was old access points to the south gallery of the large cloister which were reopened, thus making the link with the new building .
A future attractive boutique open to all
In addition to this new entrance more functional and adapted, the Musée des Augustins will soon have a more attractive, friendly shop open to all, with a renovation budget of 5 million euros.
Installed in the wing at the corner of rue de Metz and rue Alsace-Lorraine, all passers-by, with or without a visit ticket, will be able to enter the enclosure and discover the little wonders that are 'hidden there.
The construction of the Musée des Augustins completed, which would cost 14 million euros, should bedelivered by the end of 2025, at the same time as rue de Metz, currently rehabilitated, calmed, planted with trees and beautified.