A persistent rumour has been doing the rounds in Deauville for months now: a next gen cultural venue in Normandy? In a convent? That’s right! The man behind the project is the architect Alain Moatti, who has already struck in Calais with the Lace Museum, and in Marseille with the Museum of the Decorative Arts, Fashion and Ceramics. The doors will open in 2019. While you’re waiting, we went behind the scenes at the construction site.
Leaving its religious side behind, the Franciscan Sisters convent is getting ready to become Deauville’s most open venue. Indeed, Alain Moatti has rethought the convent as an indoor space open to all. A high street of culture, where different media (books, artwork, digital tools, concerts, and demonstrations) will be pooled together and simply juxtaposed.
FREE ACCESS TO A TEMPLE OF CULTURE...
Here, there’s no prescribed route. You are free to wander the galleries, cloisters, and temporary exhibition space as you see fit. Spot a book on a shelf in the library. Take in the artwork on the walls. Admire the treasures of a digital display. Music, cinema and performance, lifestyle, horses, Deauville’s memory, youth: there’s something here for everyone. At the heart of the convent the cloisters, the space’s beating heart, awaits for a well-deserved break and chance to meet some new faces. See you under the glass ceiling!
...A STONE’S THROW FROM THE DEAUVILLE BOARDWALK
In 2019, Deauville will have something to suit all tastes and desires. Boardwalk or convent, yellow sand or cutting edge exhibition, blackjack at the casino or concert at the Franciscaines: you'll have to choose. Or not.... The boardwalk and convent are right next to each other.