As part of an international competition, Allied Works developed a master plan for a new cultural district in central Lausanne and a design for the new Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA). The concept retains much of the site’s industrial architecture and includes the relocation of two innovative cultural institutions to the site: the Musée de Design et d’Arts Appliqués Contemporains (MUDAC) and the Musée de l’Elysée.

Allied Works’ proposal integrates contemporary and historic form to create a beacon for the arts and powerful new urban gateway. The first phase of development proposes the creation of the new MCBA at the heart of the site, the restoration of the existing Locomotive Hall as a multi-purpose event space for public events, and the establishment of a continuous Arts Walk through the cultural district.The forms and spaces of the new MCBA are both monumental and transparent. The building’s form is fractured and staggered, providing glimpses into and through the building, and establishing a rhythm of space and structure along the Arts Walk and rail lines. The new architecture binds the city, landscape and art into one unified experience.