Switzerland’s newest art and culture district, Plateforme 10, is welcoming four new additions to the cultural destination which is set to attract guests in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
On June 18, four world-class museums will open their doors to culture-lovers in the Lake Geneva Region, known for its array of cultural and historical attractions.
Set in one of the country’s most iconic locations, with the backdrop of the magnificent Lake Geneva, the new opening will see the launch of museums tracking the history of a diverse range of disciplines from tapestry to modern design.
The new openings will be the Musée de l’Elysée or Photo Elysée (Museum for photography), MUDAC (Museum of Design and Contemporary Applied Arts), Fondation Félix Vallotton (Centre of Excellence in the study of the life and works of Félix Vallotton) and Fondation Toms Pauli, a centre boasting a wide collection of ancient tapestries and modern textile creations from around the world.
The grand opening follows the inaugural, soft launch of the district which saw the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts (Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts) open its doors in October 2019, giving art fans a taste of what’s to come. One of Switzerland’s oldest museums, it owns approximately 10,000 works, many of which were donations.
The district which includes several architectural icons, is a sprawling 22,000 square meters, has been in the making for more than a decade and is also a living space that hosts restaurants, relaxation areas, boutiques and bookshops. Its sustainable design also symbolises the country’s move towards a greener future.
“The City of Lausanne has launched an ambitious challenge. We are reinventing the museum space through an urban project that is modern, alive and unique in Switzerland. It is every bit a ‘living museum’ and cultural hub.” said Florence Renggli, Director of Vaud Promotion.
Switzerland is one of Europe’s cultural champions, each year welcoming thousands of fans of science, art and popular culture to its wide offering of museums, castles and galleries.
Located next to the train station - the inspiration for name Plateforme 10 - the destination aims to attract a diverse group of visitors from across the world, 200,000 visitors expected each year.
The inaugural exhibition, "Atlas. A Cartography of Donations" created a dialogue between works from different generations and attracted over 19,000 visitors. Currently, the ongoing exhibition, “Under The Skin, Vienna 1900, from Klimt to Schiele and Kokosch”, will run until 24 May at the Musee Cantonal des Beaux-Arts.
Showcasing the role of Viennese artists during the birth of modern art, “Under the Skin” boasts more than 150 paintings, drawings, sculptures and other artworks from the period, organized under the patronage of the Austrian Embassy of Switzerland with the support from the Kunsthaus Zug and the Kamm Collection Foundation.
Later this year, upcoming exhibitions include the paintings of Albert-Edgar Yersin and the works of Taus Makhacheva.
Plateforme 10 currently holds pride pieces donated by Alice Pauli, which includes works by Soulages, Kiefer, Penone, and Kapoor among others. Paintings by Zao Wou-Ki and individual pieces by major artists including Rodin, Klee, Balthus, G. Giacometti, Vallotton and Soutter also grace the art district.
Lausanne was recently awarded the prize of 'Emerging Cultural Destination' at the Leading Culture Destinations (LCD) Berlin Awards 2021/2022, which were held on 7th April 2022 in the German capital. The award underlines the joint commitment of the City of Lausanne and Lausanne Tourisme to the development and promotion of an ambitious and diversified cultural scene on the eve of the inauguration of Plateforme 10.
For further information, please visit: www.region-du-leman.ch/en/plateforme-10