法国昂热大教堂拱形入口及画廊丨隈研吾建筑都市设计事务所

Arched openings punctuate the contemporary entrance of Angers Cathedral in France, recently completed by the studio of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

Opened earlier this month, the concrete entrance doubles as a gallery to frame and protect the sculptural doorway on the west side of the Angevin Gothic-style cathedral.

Kengo Kuma has added an arched entrance to Angers Cathedral

The rectangular form is broken by five arches, framing views of the historic sculptures in the doorway. Externally, the arches are wrapped by archivolts – a series of ornamental bands.

According to Kengo Kuma and Associates, the 21-metre-long structure aims to create "a harmonious dialogue" with the architecture of the medieval building, which was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The entrance doubles as a gallery

However, the extension has proven controversial, with French newspaper Ouest-France describing it as a "concrete UFO".

Meanwhile, many locals are torn over whether the addition is an "architectural jewel or a wart", the paper reported.

It frames views of colourful sculptures

Kengo Kuma and Associates revealed its design for the Angers Cathedral gallery in 2021. It was selected in a competition with five entrants.

At the time, the studio said its goal was to "put ourselves in the shoes of the builders of the Middle Ages".

It is formed from concrete cast in-situ

"We wanted to put ourselves in the shoes of the builders of the Middle Ages and to create a regulatory framework, using compasses, thus generating the proportions which lead to unity," the studio said.

"It is this technical process that creates a contemporary feeling to the building, while remaining part of the history of architecture."

The sculptures were originally sheltered by a 13th-century canopy

The medieval sculptures, which were added to the building in the 1600s, were rediscovered in 2009 when the cathedral was cleaned.

Finished in blue, red and yellow tones, they were originally sheltered by an entrance canopy built in the first third of the 13th century, though this was demolished in 1807.

Kuma's replacement was originally set to be carved from stone, but the final design used concrete, cast on-site using sand and aggregates sourced from the Loire river basin.

"It liberates the structure from the heavy walls of cathedrals carved in stone, offering instead a lighter, monolithic presence," said the studio.

"This refined technique weaves a thread between past and present, lending the building a quiet contemporaneity rooted in the long continuum of architectural history."

A series of arches punctuates the volume

Kengo Kuma and Associates was founded by Kuma in Tokyo in 1990. Its other recent projects include a proposal for a ceramic-inspired residential skyscraper in Quito and its design for a new wing for the National Gallery in London.

The photography is by Guillaume Amat.