A landmark arts venture launches in Lausanne, Switzerland

'Plateforme 10' comprises three museums by Barozzi Veiga and Aires Mateus

MCBA Plateforme 10. Photograohy: (c) Mathieu Gafsou1 of 3

After a decade of excavation and construction, Switzerland’s largest cultural development in years launched this weekend on an esplanade outside Lausanne’s central station. The trio of museums comprising Plateforme 10 officially launched Saturday, three years after the completion of the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (MCBA) by Spanish practice Barozzi Veiga.

The remaining two museums, Photo Elysée and the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (MUDAC), share a building by Portuguese architects Aires Mateus. Together, they cover an area of 25,000 square metres.

The inaugural exhibitions share the central theme of railway travel under the name ‘Train Zug Treno Tren’. MCBA is showing 60 railway-inspired works by artists including Giorgio de Chirico, Edward Hopper and Paul Delvaux. Photo Elysée and MUDAC are covering themes of early rail travel and platform reunions. They’ll run collectively until 25 September 2022.