The primary element of the Cité de l’Économie et de la Monnaie collection is indeed the building itself. The neo-gothic architecture in brick, very much in its original state, forms the backdrop for an educational and dynamic museum content that highlights the relationship between the past and the present.
With due respect for the work of the original architects, Février and Defrasse, the magic of the place will be used for the discovery of very different spaces and paradoxically organized via a museum tour , giving a new unity to the entire complex that had never previously been seen in full. This illustrates the relationship between unitary and organic.
A major opening rises directly from the ground floor to the terrace. The space gained covered by (a flat glass roof will filter the zenithal light with a pattern of solar batteries, encircling the Defrasse dome, which is in turn surrounded by the roofs and skylights of the neighbouring Hôtels. This forms the apical counterpoint of the extreme inwardness of the Louis XII château.
The educational content of the Cité de l’Économie et de la Monnaie requires a strong pedagogical translation that is both fun and full of imagery. The aim is to elucidate the different and often complex aspects of the economy by using analogy and simple images. We propose an analogy with theatre in which economic “players” welcome the visitor, introduce themselves, invite them to play their “role” and then step aside to allow the visitor to become an active participant in the “play” that is being “acted out”. The circuit therefore has several “acts” and leads the visitor towards the culminating point in the “plot”.
Different levels of reading are offered throughout the permanent exhibition. They are adapted to the educational contents and to the visitors’ individual profiles. The economics-related contents will be displayed on dynamic objects, often interactive, that allow a lively transmission of the fundamental information. Pedagogical images will be used to make the contents accessible to a public minimally acquainted with economic concepts. Using new information and communication technologies will keep the pedagogical contents lively, and will enable to set up a resource centre and to keep up with current events in parallel to the historical anchoring.
