Musée du Débarquement

The historic building conversion of the D-Day Museum in Arromanches-les-Bains reflects on the relationship between memory, history and contemporary architecture. Rather than replacing the original 1953 museum, the project preserves and integrates it within the visitor sequence. The museum extension architect engages in dialogue with the existing structure, redefining the museum’s architectural identity while maintaining continuity with its historical fabric.

Stripped of later accretions, the original structure is preserved and articulated through a composition of contemporary volumes. The museum architect extends the project’s functionalist approach, each volume clearly articulates its spatial requirements: an elevated exhibition block protects the collections from flood risk; a low, cantilevered entrance volume defines the forecourt; separate circulation cores accommodate lifts, stairs and access to the rooftop auditorium; while an independent ramp volume leads to the galleries above. This functional clarity gives the historic building conversion a strong architectural legibility.

The museum extension architect clad the extension in ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC), creating a contemporary reinterpretation of the exposed aggregate concrete that characterizes the original building. The design reinterprets the proportions of the façade panels, the cladding grid and the geometric principles employed by the museum architect. Quartz inclusions catch and reflect the shifting light of the Calvados landscape.

The largely glazed reception areas invite visitors into the D-Day museum. The museum extension architect designed a visual dialogue with the town that is particularly pronounced at the ground plane, with the external landscape progressively receding from sight along the vertical visitor journey. Through immersive soundscapes, the museum evokes the atmosphere of the war years, integrating visitors into a carefully curated sequence of experiential exhibits.