program: complete renovation of the existing museum and construction of a new wing, including new exhibits.
client: David Dewhurst Foundation
exhibit design: Barbara Sterkers
structural steel consultant: Jean-Christophe Grosso
landscape architect: Thalweg
size: 35,310 sq. ft.
construction cost: 4,500,000.00 €
delivery: May 2011

Utah Beach is a place of great natural beauty and of unparalleled historical importance. The site and the museum extension are developed together to ensure a project in perfect harmony with the natural landscape.Emerging from the dunes, the new entry pavilion will invite visitors to discover the museum. Just as the historic artifacts are intertwined with the landscape, the extension will weave a link between the dunes and the museum.

The history of Utah Beach is a living memory, and traces of the events from 1944 are still clearly visible throughout the site. The richness of the museum’s collection – over 1,300 artifacts – will be the organizing principle for the new exhibit. The exhibit will be a journey of discovery that gives new purpose to this historic collection of great value. The extension of the museum will allow the visitor to discover and understand these pieces in their context, creating for each visitor a strong personal link to Utah Beach and its history.