Monday Dossier #01: Lascaux IV

Image coming soon

For this first Monday Dossier, I invite you to Montignac, in the Périgord. The future Montignac cave art centre, more commonly known as Lascaux IV, was chosen last 18 October. The project goes to the Norwegian practice Snøhetta, which has teamed up with Bordeaux-based Duncan Lewis and exhibition designers Casson Mann, already winners with the Paris architects X-TU for the CCTV in Bordeaux. The unsuccessful competitors were Josep Lluis Mateo, Auer & Weber and Jean Nouvel.

The aim of the Lascaux IV project is to recreate in full the cave discovered in 1940 and closed to the public twenty-three years later. Lascaux II reproduces only the Hall of the Bulls and the Axial Gallery, while Lascaux III reproduces the Nave and the Shaft. The Centre International d’Art Pariétal expects 400,000 visitors a year from May 2016.

No sooner had it been launched than the Lascaux IV project was called severely into question by the minister Aurélie Filippetti, following her announcement of a freeze on funding for major French cultural projects, this one included. Nicolas Sarkozy had promised that the State would back the project with €16 million. After negotiation, François Hollande’s Ministry of Culture will contribute €4 million, a quarter of the amount originally planned. The region and the département are each putting in €16.6 million. The European Union will be approached for a further €10 million and the operator will contribute €2 million. The project itself is estimated at €50 million, and talks continue with private backers to close the funding package.

Contents:

1. Winning project by Snøhetta
2. Project by Josep Lluis Mateo (second)
3. Project by Auer & Weber (third)
4. Project by Jean Nouvel (fourth)