Audemars Piguet Taps Bjarke Ingels for New Le Brassus Museum
Opening its doors this summer.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet has just completed the construction of its new museum.
Located in Le Brassus, Switzerland, the museum stands just adjacent to the historic Audemars Piguet headquarters, casting a stark contrast to the latter’s traditional Swiss architecture found prominently in the town. The design of the new building itself came from famed Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, who tapped into curvilinear forms to create a spiraling structure. “You have a spiral, almost like a spring hovering above your head,” explains Ingels. “It’s inspired by the element in the timepiece that stores and delivers the energy of the clock.”
He continued: “In watchmaking, a lot of the disciplines are what you could call getting the maximum amount of impact with a minimum amount of material. The idea is similar to this structure, and how the glass carries the entire roof over our heads….The museum is almost like an open work. Nothing is hidden, all the elements that you see are performing and part of the narrative, gently curving concentric circles.”
Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet is currently scheduled to open its doors to the public June 25. For now, take a closer look in the gallery above.
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