In order to respond to the demands of an on-site museum, award-winning architects Philippe Chaix and Jean-Paul Morel designed two buildings that are very different in their conception.
The ensemble, completed in 1996, covers a surface of more than 12000 m².
Situated along the river, the permanent exhibit building constructed on top of a Roman house stands on stilts.
Perpendicular to the Rhône, the main building, constructed in concrete, appears to be anchored to the ground. This building is home to the museum's administration and services : ticket office, temporary exhibit, boutique and restaurant, as well as a research center and a mosaic restoration studio.




The Museum seen from the left bank of the Rhône, architects Ph. Chaix and J.P. Morel.

A striking feature of the landscape, the Museum, situated in the prolongation of the Rhône river bridge, is a reference to the symbolic continuity between the two banks, and to the urban unity of the Roman era.





The Permanent Exhibit Building

Constructed on stilts, this structure remains faithful to the map of a small island of the Roman city excavated before its construction. With its transparent façades, the permanent exhibit building offers a view of the Gallo-Roman district of Saint-Romain-en-Gal, the Rhône, and the city of Vienne on the left bank.





Interior View of the Permanent Exhibit Room

• The Heritage of Gallo-Roman Vienne
  A rich heritage located on the Rhône riverbanks.
  
  
• The Discovery of the Past
  A few dates.