Designed by Jean Nouvel, the musical instrument tower is like a window onto the museum's various behind-the-scenes areas, displaying the collection of musical instruments.
The musical instrument tower
Content
10,000 instruments are conserved over six levels. This heritage, which reflects the diversity of different cultures and their musical practices, is not immune to the wear of time. The fragility of the materials jeopardises the durability of certain rare and precious pieces, some of which are several centuries old.
Remodelling works from April 2019 to early 2020
Major works have been undertaken to improve the conditions under which the works are conserved and handled. A vast restoration programme concerning around one hundred works was also undertaken during the same period.
Le projet en chiffres
- 24 metres: height of the instrument tower
- 16 metres: diameter of the instrument tower
- 700m²: surface of the reserve collections visible
- 10,000: instruments conserved in the tower (around 3,850 from Africa, 2,600 from Asia, 2,450 from America including 900 pre-Hispanic pieces, 600 instruments from Oceania and 500 from Insulindia)
- 4: instrument families: aerophone, chordophone, membranophone and idiophone
The improvements
The works were launched following studies carried out by the museum’s Conservation-Restoration Centre and Collections Management team. The aim was to improve the conservation conditions of the works on the one hand (reduced fire risk, anti-dust measures, improved climatic conditions), and to improve the conditions for handling the pieces on the other hand (improved flow, adapted lighting, redesign of work stations, etc.).
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