Internationales Zentrum für Höhlenmalerei - Centre International de l'Art Pariétal

Outwardly, the building expresses a telluric force. Its mineral quality resembles that of the Castle, or of the bridge over the river Vézère.

The object of the space is to convey the emotion of Lascaux, the presence close at hand of something that is distant and elusive. Here, “We must read the past as a future waiting to be discovered”.

The visit is organized around two movements: from light to dark, and from dark to light. The descent to the cave begins in a large outdoor public space. As we enter, our eyes gradually become accustomed from light to dark. The entrance opens up to the hill, with a double-height space for information and rest that is open to the hill, though also intimate and evocative. . Raising our eyes, we see the wood, a visual opening to the hill. The exit from the cave is nuanced by a succession of filter walls that effect the transition from darkness to light. At the exit from the cave we find ourselves in a neutral connecting space. Dark and light, discovery and knowledge, are related by a vertical rising movement: the “canyon of light”. This space takes us from contemplation and introspection to an opening to the sky. After the ascent from the dark, we reach the phase of comprehension, of “light”. A space where various areas of exhibition and analysis help us to reflect on the art we have just discovered. Next we go onto the room containing the “Theatres of Prehistory” and “Cave Painting Around the World”. This room presents a gentle topography, a fluid space with several hollows in the floor where the theatres are accommodated. These moments of discovery and interpretation give way to relaxation, shops and catering. The visit ends with descent towards the entrance, from where we head back to the plaza.