Musée National de la Marine

The revitalized maritime museum in Paris opened to the public on the 17th of November after six years of restoration

The ambition behind the renovation of the Musée national de la Marine in Paris was to rethink the organization within the museum’s services to offer visitors and employees a functional environment for work, discovery, and exchange. 

The design of the new museum is characterized by curved and circular forms, in keeping with the existing geometry of the building and subtly referencing the natural movement of water. This dynamic architectural movement facilitates circulation and connectivity between spaces and encourages more fluid interaction.

Drawing from the building’s different historical layouts, h2o architects and Snøhetta have restored the monumental volumes of the existing structure, creating ideal spaces for the newly imagined visitor experience and supplementary functions.

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Location: Paris, France
​Client: Musée National de la Marine ​
​OPPIC-Opérateur du Patrimoine et des
​Projets Immobiliers de la Culture ​
​Ground surface: 9 000 m2
​Status: Completed ​
​Project duration: 2016 – 2023 ​
​Opening date: November 17, 2023 ​
​Architect: h2o architectes-Snøhetta ​
​Interior architect: h2o architectes-Snøhetta ​
​Scenography: Casson Mann 

Collaborators: ​ 

Construction economist: VPEAS ​
​Structural design: Équilibre Structures ​
​HVAC engineer, systems engineer, sustainability consultant for operations and maintenance: IGREC Ingénierie ​
​Lighting designer: Agence ON ​
​Acoustical engineering: Impédance ingénierie ​
​Project Management Monuments Historiques: Lionel Dubois and Pierre Bortolussi
​Fire safety and accessibility consultant: Casso & Associés
​Scenography of the auditorium: Scenevolution