Bayeux Tapestry to come to life in ambitious museum revamp

Ahead of William the Conqueror's 1,000th birthday, the home of the Bayeux Tapestry is prepping for major renovations. Thanks to a two-storey extension and restorations to its existing building, the Bayeux Museum plans to double its exhibition space while keeping conservation front and centre. 

Architectural firm RHSP has revealed its plans for Bayeux Museum's upcoming renovations. © RSHP

The Bayeux Museum in Normandy, northern France, has housed the historic tapestry for the past four decades. 

It is getting a €38 million facelift led by British architects RSHP.

“In terms of economic and cultural influence, this is the most complex and ambitious project ever undertaken by the town of Bayeux,” says the commune's mayor, Patrick Gomont. 

Thousand-year history

A one-of-a-kind historical item, the 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry tells the tale of William the Conqueror’s 1066 conquest of England across nine embroidered panels, with scenes set in France and England.

RSHP partner Stephen Barrett highlighted the symbolism: “As a British practice with a long history of working in France, there’s poetry in being able to contribute to a project that symbolises the deep connections between our two countries,” he said. 

“[It’s] a unique embodiment of this shared past.” 

Here are a few pictures of what the #Bayeux Tapestry Museum will look like in 2027 once renovation is completed! 👍

📷: © RSHP / Bayeux Museum pic.twitter.com/ACDDGTaLnl

— Normandy Tourism (@Normandy) February 6, 2024

The tapestry survived fires in the Middle Ages and public condemnation during the French Revolution. It has been safely housed in Bayeux’s converted 17th-century seminary since 1983. 

Currently one of the only publicly displayed works on Unesco’s “Memory of the World” register, the tapestry’s 70-metre length equals the distance between the pillars of the Eiffel Tower.

Tapestry to be put in storage

RSHP says the renovation project's primary challenge is preserving the priceless artefact. 

Its recently released designs include a new inclined stand for the millennia-old tapestry.

Antoine Verney, head curator of Bayeux Museums, said that the stand will allow them to safely move the tapestry within the museum during low-season closures as part of efforts to stabilise damage to the fragile fabric.

Currently, the tapestry is on display year-round behind glass and dim lighting to prevent fading.

During the year-long construction, the museum will move the artefact to purpose-designed storage. 

A quoi va ressembler le nouveau musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux ?
Le dévoilement du projet architectural a eu lieu hier soir... #Bayeux #musée #bayeuxtapestry #Normandiehttps://t.co/Zjk5XCkAya

— Bayeux Museum (@BayeuxMuseum) February 3, 2024

Panoramic view

Once work is completed, visitors can look forward to a 180-degree view of the canvas, which will be fully unfurled across two levels in the new extension. 

The architects say they hope to immerse visitors in the Medieval world. Their plans also include new facilities and promises better accessibility for disabled visitors. 

The museum is also eager to feature a life-size photographic replica from 1872 in the updated space. The recent acquisition from the late Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts’s estate has been hailed as a major win for the institution. 

Bayeux Museum plans to shut its doors following the summer of 2025 before reopening in 2027 – approximately a thousand years since the birth of William the Conqueror.