The Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes, in marked contrast with the neighboring Roman amphitheatre’s stone arches, unveils its unique façade facing the Arenas of Nîmes. The museum is set to open in 2018.In the midst of Nîmes’ antiquity, architect Elizabeth de Portzamparc has set up a fascinating architectural dialogue between heritage and contemporary architecture. The museum’s design imbues it with a new dynamism. The soft and horizontal undulations, the predominance of glass, the transparence and the lightness of the Musée de la Romanité contrast with the verticality of the Arenas’ stone arches.The façade of the Musée de la Romanité is designed to highlight the building’s lightness, heighten the floating sensation, and create visual tension with the Arenas. It supports 6,708 glass strips covering a surface of 2,500 sq m. The glass squares subtly evoke Roman mosaics, which are among the major pieces of the museum’s collections. The kinetic effects of the façade accentuate the sensation of movement, creating a dialogue with the city by reflecting its colors and the light.The Musée de la Romanité will serve as the city’s future 21st century heritage, designed to blend with the universal values of Nîmes, noted World Architecture News.  Read more