The inauguration of the ‘Plateforme 10’ arts district in June promises a cultural summer in Lausanne 

June 09, 2022 – Switzerland’s biggest investment in the arts will have its complete inauguration on the 18^th June, when the photography museum, Photo Elysée, and the museum of design and contemporary applied arts (mudac), join the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (MCBA) in Lausanne’s new arts district: Plateforme 10. Almost three years after the opening of the first building and the MCBA, Plateforme 10 will inaugurate its second building housing Photo Elysée and the mudac.

Located a stone’s throw from the central train station, the three institutions will also unite around the same museum theme and will devote their inaugural exhibitions to the theme of railway travel – ‘Train Zug Treno Tren. Voyages Imaginaires’. The MCBA exhibit will have over 60 railway-inspired masterpieces by an extraordinary range of artists, from Giorgio de Chirico and Edward Hopper to Paul Delvaux and Leonor Fini. Crossing Lines exhibit at the Photo Elysée explores new approaches to railway history for over more than a century and a half, from the earliest train experiences in the 19th century to its uses today and the mudac exhibit focuses on the idea of meeting, placing the individual at the centre of its show. The exhibits will be available to the public until the 25^th September 2022.

To celebrate the arts district which is a culmination of 10 years work on a national scale, on the 18^th June and throughout the summer, a diverse and entertaining cultural programme will highlight the city’s cultural presence, from dance and theatre performances, to contemporary circus acts and even sound artworks.  

Covering an area of ​​more than 25,000 m2, the two modern buildings are designed by internationally renowned architects – Barozzi Veiga from Barcelona for the MCBA and Aires Mateus from Lisbon for the mudac and Photo Elysée. They run along the railway tracks, in the middle of a vast esplanade where visitors can stroll between the terraces, and the three welcoming restaurants and book and gift shops.  

Earlier this year Lausanne was voted the ’emerging cultural destination of the year’ at the LCD Berlin Awards, with Plateforme 10 arts district marking a new turning point for Lausanne’s constantly changing cultural scene.