Nabo Bay --- a new museum of Roman antiquities
Narbonne – Officially opened after the inauguration of the Carolet Delgah Regional Council. Located near the Robin Canal, the Foster + Partners designed building will be a new milestone at the entrance to the city.
The museum is built on a platform.
At the entrance to the city offers a sense of restrained citizens and architectural monuments. The building includes galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions, a multi-** educational center, an auditorium, a restaurant and a bookstore, as well as research, restoration, and storage facilities. Outside, there is a formal garden and an amphitheater with open-air performances.
At the heart of the museum is one"Gem Wall", which forms the natural boundary of the museum's center, separating the public galleries from the more intimate spaces for the restoration of artifacts. Visitors can see the work of archaeologists and researchers through a mosaic of stones and light. The flexible display frame makes the relief easy to reconfigure and is used as an active tool for learning.
The museum space is unified under a concrete roof canopy and provides thermal mass, contributing to the creation of a comprehensive environment where the interior artifacts are suitable. The roof canopy is high and is lit by a patio. Some parts of the roof extend onto the walkway around the museum. As part of its sustainable environmental agenda, most of the services in the building are integrated into an underground space thanks to the application of local technology in Rome. The cold air is squeezed out of the basement at a low speed, which allows a smaller amount of air to be regulated while maintaining a comfortable environment. The sheer volume of space created by the high ceilings creates a thermal flywheel effect that naturally pushes the warm air upwards and out of the outdoors.
The exterior of the building is made of coloured concrete wall material, which partially extends into the interior. The dry-mix concrete layers of the colored concrete walls are pressed into a single layer on site, and the resulting layering evokes not only the archaeological architectural temperament of the museum, but also the appearance of the local concrete of Rome. A similar approach based on simplicity has been adopted in the structural approach of architecture. These walls are solid, thermally insulated and load bearings. The roof is supported by reinforced concrete double beams, and the roof is made of reinforced concrete grid structure beams. The glass around its enclosure is nailed directly to the concrete wall.
The landscape design takes into account the integration with the canal to create a tranquil environment for the museum. The grounds of the museum also have an amphitheater of open-air displays and events, the design of which is inspired by the forms of French gardens and Roman courtyards. It connects the museum to the existing tow track of the Robin Canal by a ramp, presenting a welcoming landscaped entrance. And, this leads a tranquil pedestrian lead to the city center.