The site for the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon, in Roman days known as Lugdunum,  was chosen by the architect, Bernard Zehrfuss. The new building, opened in 1975, replaced the former museum that once stood in the heart of the ruins of old Roman city. The design of the museum was entrusted to Zehrfuss, who, at the time, was  Chief Architect of the Civil Buildings and National Palaces Agency. He was also a laureate of the Institut de France’s “Grand Prix de Rome” and the designer of the CNIT and the UNESCO Hall in Paris. From the beginning, it had been decided to build an on-site museum, nestled amongst the antique theaters of the archeological park. The architect’s masterful plan successfully integrates a large underground exhibition space with its surroundings on Fourvière Hill, where the Roman Amphitheater of the Gallo-Roman civilization in Lyon stands.  The museum’s building of reinforced concrete, blends into the hillside, and is almost invisible from the exterior. All that can be seen  from the exterior are two canons à lumière, large bay windows inspired by the architect, Le Corbusier. The interior of the museum is formed around a concrete spiral ramp descending and branching out into the exhibition spaces. The ramp defines the visitor’s route through the museum, as it progressively plunges downward through the rooms until reaching the lower level of the theaters.

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. Exterior view of the Musée Gallo-Roman. 2. Interior ramp descending into lower galleries of the museum. 3. Two lateral skylights, the only evidence of the museum’s presence in the archaeological site. 4. Exterior ramp leading from the archaeological site to the museum nearby. Right, Top: Skylight above the spiral staircase on the entrance level of the museum. Right, Bottom: The descending spiral staircase as seen in the galleries below ground.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE