Lascaux, discovered in 1940 in the Weser Valley near the town of Montignac in southwestern France, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List; in terms of the quality and preservation of images, it can be compared only with the Spanish cave Altamira. But after opening it to tourists, the images that had existed for more than 15,000 years were threatened with destruction: the unstable regime of temperature and humidity, combined with the penetration of bacteria and fungi from outside, led to the infection of the walls of Lascaux with mold, which researchers are struggling with with varying success.
Access to the cave is closed for tourists, but in order not to deprive them of the opportunity to see a masterpiece of world culture (and also not to deprive the local authorities of significant income), a partial copy of the cave with the most famous paintings was erected nearby.
Now it is planned to raise this exposition to a new level: a copy will be placed in the new visitor center Lascaux 4, designed by the Snoehetta bureau. The low-rise building fits perfectly into the landscape at the foot of the hill, on the border of cultivated fields. The roof serves as a public space leading to the edge of the forest. The long glazed façade faces Montignac, from where tourists arrive.
Sunlit public spaces are located behind a transparent wall, and exhibition areas were placed in the back, imitating a cave atmosphere. With the help of the exhibition design and augmented reality technology, the silence and noise of the forest, greenery and rocks will alternate there (exhibition design by Casson Mann, augmented reality by Jangled Nerves).
The project with a total budget of 50 million euros (of which 15.5 will go to a building with an area of 8,605 m2, and 9.9 - for an exposition) is designed for 400,000 tourists per year and should be implemented in 2013-2015.
