The City of Narbonne Commissions Norman Foster for a Museum of Roman Antiquity

Norman Foster is best known for his futuristic aesthetic — think Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, or the spaceport they designed for Virgin Galactic in New Mexico — which is why Foster + Partners is such an interesting choice to design the home of a museum of ancient Roman artifacts. After winning an international competition, they’ve been chosen by the city of Narbonne, a former major port of the Roman empire in the south of France, to envision the Musée de la Romanitée Narbonne, the future home of more than 1,000 ancient stone reliefs.

As Foster’s reputation is set to put this relatively unknown city on the map, Narbonne and it’s surrounding area is already rich in ancient architectural sites. The proposed building is a simple white rectilinear structure, a far cry from the stone and stained glass of the city’s current main draw, the unfinished Narbonne Cathedral, the construction of which began in 1272. Rather than finish the architectural masterpiece they already have, Narbonne is set to build another masterpiece. La Souqueto B&B sits on the Roman ramparts of Mirepeisset and is just half an hour from this majestic City,