Audemars Piguet has chosen the BIG architectural studio to extend its historical buildings and house its new museum, also called 'House of the Founders'. The new 2,400-square-metre building will fit naturally into the beautiful landscape of the Vallée de Joux. The Maison's first private museum was inaugurated in 1992 in the original Audemars family home and subsequently expanded in 2004. The collection comprises more than 1,300 timepieces belonging to the brand's heritage over a period of 250 years. In 2014, the museum embarked on a new phase of transformation, which will lead it to become the Audemars Piguet Founders' House in the future. The latter will flank the exhibition spaces (almost 400 watches on display) with various workshops and spaces intended for public reception and meetings, all complemented by a facility for the professional preservation of the archives. Built in 1868, the original building will be enhanced by an additional construction in a resolutely modern style, which will accommodate the brand's customers and partners as well as its craftsmen and employees. To this end, BIG has created a new pavilion in the form of a concentric spiral that will tell visitors about the history of the House, in a fluid combination of past and present. Jasmine Audemars, President of the Board of Directors of Audemars Piguet, said: "We are delighted to announce the start of our new Founders' House project. An ideal place to share the passion for the art of watchmaking and a new symbol of Audemars Piguet, the Founders' House testifies to the brand's deep connection with its origins, as well as its independent and innovative spirit".
