New D-Day Museum in Normandy Showcases Sleek Concrete Colonnade and Panoramic Design

Atelier Projectiles, a French architectural studio, has unveiled its design for the new D-Day Museum in Normandy, France. This fully-glazed, concrete-framed building stands as a testament to the historic significance of the D-Day landings, which the museum commemorates. Situated on one of the five beaches where Allied forces landed during World War II, the museum’s design is intended to harmonize with and reflect the surrounding landscape.

The structure features a full-height glazed facade that wraps around exposed concrete interiors, evoking the nearby remnants of the artificial harbors used during the landings. Daniel Mészáros, founding associate of Atelier Projectiles, emphasized the importance of the museum’s connection to its environment, describing it as a “landscape museum” integral to a broader historical context stretching from cliff to cliff and horizon to horizon.

The museum’s entrance, located on Place du 6 Juin 1944, is marked by an eight-meter-high colonnade that extends from the slender concrete exoskeleton defining the building’s exterior. This colonnade frames a forecourt designed for contemplation, offering views of the tide and the historical remains along the beach.

Inside, the museum is organized around a “longitudinal fracture” on each level, mirroring the Phoenix breakwaters—concrete caissons used in the construction of the Mulberry harbors. Visitors follow a chronological path that begins with a small footbridge and transitions through increasingly open concrete spaces, culminating in a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the ocean and the village.

Mészáros noted that the museum’s design blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. On the ground floor, public areas seamlessly extend into the museum, while on the first floor, exhibits interact with the landscape. The rooftop offers a total immersion into the site, with minimal visual obstructions.

In a similar vein, Dutch studio Kaan Architecten has recently completed a visitor center for a World War II cemetery in the Netherlands, featuring a combination of fully-glazed areas and monumental concrete forms.

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