There is nothing quite like the Arles cultural center, an offshoot of the Zurich-based foundation created by philanthropist Maja Hoffmann. Its emblem is the tower designed by Frank Gehry, which acts as both an exhibition venue and a space for artistic and scientific work.
Luma Arles, Parc des Ateliers, Frank Gehry's tower, May 2021.
Adrian Deweerdt
Wherever you are, it is difficult not to be aware of it. "It's not the Gehry tower or the Luma tower: it's just the tower", says Maja Hoffmann. Reminding us that Arles is the municipality covering the largest area in France, all the way to the shoreline, she continues: "My profound desire was to see the sea, and affirm the connection between this territory and the Mediterranean." In fact, the tower is the only piece of architecture that emerges from the landscape. From a distance, this intriguing building with its irregularly contoured silhouette looks like some glittering living creature. Up close, it is still disconcerting: on the Victor Hugo Boulevard side, we find a metallic façade made of over 11,000 stainless steel bricks forming twists; on the garden side, a light brown mineral façade. A circular glass window on the ground level, called the "Drum", gives a sense of unity to the whole. Typical of the style of Californian architect Frank Gehry (b. 1929), this building is the result of a long-term collaboration with Maja Hoffmann that started in 2006: the year…
com.dsi.gazette.Article : 26513
This article is for subscribers only
You still have 85% left to read.
Print the article
