Lausanne’s new Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Art (MCBA) was inaugurated on October 5, the result of an intriguing project that involved a full reclamation of the nearby railway area. Based in Verona (Italy) and specialized in the production of Venetian terrazzo, a composite material made of marble chips and a binder, Agglotech provided the cladding material for the museum’s staircases.
The project was ordered by the Vaud Canton and designed by the architecture firm Barozzi Veiga as part of the tender awarded to the Spanish firm in 2011 for the Platform 10 master plan. The museum is situated on a plot of land of over 20,000 square meters (5 acres) near the city’s main train station in an area that was previously occupied by 19th-century industrial buildings, and will serve as the focal point of a broader project by which the local administration intends to create a new hub of contemporary art.
Agglotech, specifically, provided the terrazzo for the museum’s staircases. Terrazzo, a composite of marble chips and a cementitious binder, is a material that is particularly suited for use as stair cladding and flooring in interior spaces both large and small. At 5 cm (2 in) thick in this case, terrazzo features a highly durable surface that is also easy to clean. In addition to its physical characteristics, Venetian terrazzo is also available in a wide range of colors and can be used in an endless array of creative patterns, making it a great material for use in sophisticated projects of architectural design. The refined elegance of Venetian flooring perfectly exalts the simple yet majestic architectural style of Lausanne’s Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts.
Agglotech is not new to the provision of Venetian flooring for museums, as the company is also proud to have provided terrazzo flooring and stair cladding materials for London’s Royal Academy of Arts.
