Architecture Augmented

Making architecture accessible and renewing the visitor experience

A special feature of the museum’s collections is that they bring together architectural fragments, monumental casts, and models, which are displayed outside their original architectural context. 
This specificity, which makes it possible to preserve and transmit scattered masterpieces, some of which have disappeared, deteriorated, or are inaccessible, also requires a significant effort on the part of the visitor to put them into context: imagining their actual scale, reconstructing their architectural environment, and understanding the use and function of the work as a whole. 
The Augmented Architecture project responds precisely to this challenge by imagining new ways of creating a dialogue between the works in the collections and 3D models of reference sites. The integration of these interactive and immersive installations within the permanent galleries offers visitors a new, sensitive, intuitive, and lively interpretation of the monuments on display, while placing them back in their spatial and historical context.

A project co-constructed with the public

Since September 2025, a visitor committee, made up of around twenty people from a variety of backgrounds, has been involved in the design of the expreriences from the very beginning of the project.
The committee is meeting six times, providing a valuable opportunity to step back, compare different perspectives, and design experiences that closely match the expectations and habits of the public.

A first installation in spring 2026

In spring 2026, the first installation will be introduced in the Murals and stained-glass Gallery around the life-size reproduction of the choir of the Romanesque church of Saint-Martin de Vic (Berry) and its frescoes, a masterpiece of Romanesque art and a remarkable example of heritage preservation. In partnership with the innovative startup, Iconem, that specialises in the digitalisation of heritage sites, a high-definition 3D model of the church has been created. An interactive display combined with video mapping will allow visitors to explore the frescoes in detail, decipher their iconography and narratives, and thus better appreciate the artistic richness of these painted decorations. The installation will also place the scale model of the choir inside the church as a whole, allowing visitors to understand the fragment within its architectural and urban context.

By the end of 2026, two additional digital installations will be deployed: 

• The monumental model of the Castle of Coucy will take on a new dimension with light projections and sound installations that will immerse visitors in the history of one of the most powerful medieval fortresses in France.
• A new animated model of the Hôtel Biron, now the Musée Rodin, will allow visitors to follow the movements of the owner, servants, and guests through the different rooms, bringing this 18th-century residence back to life. 
  In 2027, as the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine celebrates its 20th anniversary, a new immersive room will be installed in the museum's permanent exhibition. It will offer a journey through space and time inside the heart of the city of Strasbourg, following its urban evolution from antiquity to the present day.

In 2027, as the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine celebrates its 20th anniversary, a new immersive room will be installed in the museum's permanent exhibition. It will offer a journey through space and time inside the heart of the city of Strasbourg, following its urban evolution from antiquity to the present day.

This project is supported by the French State as part of France 2030's “Digitalisation of Heritage and Architecture” programme, which is operated by the Banque des Territoires (Caisse des Dépôts Group)
In partnership with  Iconem.