The Louvre Abu Dhabi has entrusted to our expertise the entire accessibility project for some of the major works of art in the new museum, designed by Jean Nouvel. We are extremely proud to have contributed to enhancing the visitor experience of over one and half million people hosted by the Museum within the last year. The main issue that the project had to address was the dual aspect of accessibility: accessibility for blind and visually-impaired people, as well as cultural accessibility.
Client: Agence France Museum / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Partner: Atelier WAM
We worked collaboratively with teams from the Louvre Abu Dhabi to find how better to convey the knowledge and offer a story accessible to all, beyond geography and cultures.
As a result, we were successful in finding an elegant solution for the exhibition panels, which were as inclusive as possible, with several languages (Arabic, French, English) and writing systems (Braille, Arabic Braille).
Fourteen tactile stations span a selection of cultural achievements from 3000 BCE to the present day. Paintings, sculptures and objects from ritual or daily life invite visitors to a free sensory exploration of their qualities and meanings.
At each tactile station there is a short and easy-to-understand introduction to the topic and its historical and cultural context. Then, visitors can explore a tactile transcription of the object or artwork, in other words a tangible object on which we have stylised details which make sense when “read” with the fingers. Finally, on the left-hand side, several details are picked out and explored in greater depth. An adapted audio-guide complements the sensory experience.
The tactile stations had to meet the demands of an extremely high standard of production quality. We opted for ultra high-definition 3D prints, direct tone prints and ultra-matt finishes. The choice of ochre as the underlying dominant colour echoes the aged brass-plated steel.
Project in cooperation with:
Direction des publics du LAD
Agence France Museums
Interface Handicap, assistance à maîtrise d’ouvrage
Tourism & Culture Abu Dhabi
Valentin Haüy Association’s testers