Audemars Piguet starts work on its Maison des Fondateurs

Visitors will cross several themed spaces exhibiting the origins of watch-making in the Vallée de Joux and an exceptional collection of enamel complication watches

In 2014, Audemars Piguet announced the results of an ambitious architectural contest for the extension of its museum, a project known as the “Maison des Fondateurs”. The winning design, by the Danish architectural firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), takes the form of a spiral emerging from the ground, with walls of curved glass that is linked to the older Audemars Piguet building – the original Audemars family home.

Two years of studies and preliminary work by engineers, architects and museum designers resulted in innovative solutions and a life-size prototype of part of the spiral being constructed and set up in the Vallée de Joux.

Practical work on the Maison started in August 2016. The museum’s historic building, which dates back to 1868, will be retained, enhanced and linked to a radically contemporary, half-buried structure.

Visitors will follow a spiral path that will cross several watch-themed spaces. A number of exceptional watches including, of course, the iconic Royal Oak will be on display – along with illustrated stories of their design.

Exhibition rooms will alternate with watch-making workshops, relaxation spaces, sound and cinema laboratories and contemporary art, making the Maison a place for meeting, experiencing and sharing. There will also be an area devoted to the preservation of the archives and the Audemars Piguet Foundation.