A fresh photo of Frank Gehry's facility under construction in Arles has appeared

/ Architecture /
Luma Arles shimmering tower designed by Frank Gehry, built in the southern French city of Arles, is gradually taking shape. When the construction of the building is completed, it will be "clad" in 11 stainless steel blocks sparkling in the sun

Hera Tower is located on a plot of 16 acres (64 square meters), previously occupied by railway workshops built in the middle of the 749th century. It will become one of six reanimated post-industrial experimental centers of contemporary art Luma Arles, where artists, researchers and creators from different areas collaborate in various multidisciplinary exhibitions and projects.

Frank Gehry

© Hervé Hôte

In 2004, the passionate Swiss art collector, art patron, documentarian, impresario and entrepreneur Maya Hoffmann founded the Luma Foundation in her native Switzerland to support the activities of artists, independent creators and organizations working in the field of visual and performing arts, photography, publishing, documentary film and multimedia. And in 2013, she decided to build an entire cultural center, chose for this a huge post-industrial territory in the south of France in Arles - a place called Parc des Ateliers, and started work an hour later.

 

© Hervé Hôte

Located near UNESCO World Heritage sites, Parc des Ateliers is the main program and cultural center for various Luma events.

Inside the campus, six industrial buildings are being reconstructed by famous architects, including the New York bureau of Selldorf Architects under the leadership of Anabel Selldorf, and a public park, next to a mountain-like tower Gerry, designed by the Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets.

Luma Arles

© Hervé Hôte

Luma Arles, designed as the main building of the entire complex, will rise 56 meters above Avenue Victor Hugo. Rock-shaped tower Gerry will have a facade of 5000 square meters, consisting of 300 welded together metal panels and 11 stainless steel blocks. A large glass atrium will be made at the base, which will be opened to the general public in the future. The building itself looks quite Geryvish, in the characteristic spirit of deconstructivism. Due to its shape and sparkling steel surfaces, it looks like a giant crystal or a castle from some fantasy saga.

© Hervé Hôte

This entire complex is privately financed by Maya Hoffman's Luma Foundation, and, according to The New York Times, it is expected to cost $175 million. Hera's building is planned to open in the spring of 2020.

Photo: © Hervé Hôte