In the heart of the Loire castles region, the recent art center endows the city of Tours with a prestigious creative space of international reputation.
It’s 4500m2 building, which owes its elegance to the light and spacious rooms, was designed by one of the most innovative architectural consultancy firms: the Aires Mateus agency. It comprises four exhibition spaces, an auditorium, a restaurant and a bookshop.
The center provides a place for people to meet and share real artistic experiences. It is from that perspective that this season’s programming is based on the dialogue between the work of Olivier Debré, major figure of the XXth century’s painting, and more recent visual art creations.
an exceptional building
The Portuguese architecture agency Aires Mateus e Associados agency was chosen at an international contest to create the CCC OD’s building in 2012.
Francisco and Manuel Aires Mateus are now amongst the major representants of Portuguese architecture, and have developed a timeless, refined and minimalist architecture that factors the potential of transformation of the existing site.
The CCC OD in Tours is their first french project; it paves the way to many other significant museum projects, notably the Mudac museum in Lausanne.
the debré donation
The CCC OD is now depositary of a donation from Olivier Debré’s right holders.
It comprises five large oil on canvas (4 x 9 m) made specifically for the CCC in 1991, 150 graphic artworks, and a semi-permanent loan of 140 tableaux.
The CCC OD promotes the figure of the artist by dedicating a series of temporary exhibitions to his work and elaborating the catalogue raisonné of his works.
a unique typography
As part of the “1% artistique” scheme which provides state funding for artistic endeavour, the CCC OD has chosen a modern typographical design to embody the institution’s spirit. The Baldinger et Vu-Huu agency was selected to create a typography that fashions the CCC OD’s graphic universe, from its front sign, to its to its interior signaletic.