Besançon City of Arts and Culture, France

Besançon, capital of the eastern Franche-Comté region of France, will witness the confluence of art and music in the new Cité des Arts de Besançon (City of Arts and Culture). Incorporating the Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain (FRAC) and the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR), the Besançon City of Arts and Culture has been designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates of Japan.

The €26m cultural centre, with an area of 10,000m², is inspired by the seven hills, the Vauban fort and the Doubs River that surrounds the city. Conceived as a union of the city and its history, the architecture will reflect the natural environs and the city.

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the department (DRAC Franche-Comté) and the General Council of the Doubs.

Besançon cultural centre timeline

On 4 July 2007, after competitive bidding by four architecture firms, Kengo Kuma & Associates was awarded the project by a jury that consisted of representatives of the owners of the region, city and Grand Besançon; representatives of the Ministry of Culture along with prominent architects from the Franche-Comté region.

On 20 September 2007, the City of Arts and Culture was launched in presence of Raymond Forni, President of the region of Franche-Comté; Jean-Louis Fousseret, the Mayor of Besançon, and Kengo Kuma. The project is expected to be open to the public by 2011.

Besançon City of Arts and Culture

Fashioned as one of France's finest villes d'art (art cities), Besançon is renowned for its historical architecture and contemporary art galleries, housing some of the finest art outside Paris.

The project sits on a 2ha brownfield site at the foot of the Citadel of Vauban. Traditionally one of the strongest forts built on a summit, the citadel is bound by cliffs on one side and the Doubs River on the other, complementing the bulwark.

The project intends to overcome the traditional barrier between Besançon and the Doubs with architecture that accentuates the harmony between land, hills and the river.

Culture centre structure

The roof comprises glass, screen printing and stone elements, with pixellated layers and colour graduations creating the opacity and transparency of the roof.

The foyer of the museum is transparent, while other areas are protected by opaque walls, dressed in stone cladding or wood. The cultural centre will use the Chailluz stone, beech and pine from the local landscape.

Since its inception in 1982, the FRAC has maintained contemporary art collections that include the works of hundreds of artists. It also features art and design exhibitions. The new structure would wrap the old brick warehouse, creating a glassed-in box. It will be used as an exhibition gallery for the FRAC. The Conservatoire, considered introvert by the architect, would be wrapped with a light layer made of glass and wood panels.