Under the direction of the Town of Bayeux, in close collaboration with the French government, the Normandy Region and the Department of Calvados, the plan to relocate the renowned 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry to a new museum space has been approved.
© Atelier Brückner GmBH
British architecture firm RSHP, the winner of the design competition, will work to a strict schedule with the project’s partners to open the new Bayeux Tapestry Museum extension in 2027, the year that will mark the millennium of William the Conqueror’s birth. The original museum, established in 1983 and housed in Bayeux’s 17th-century Grand Seminary, will close to the public after the 2025 autumn season while extension construction and tapestry conservation take place during 2026.
During construction, the Bayeux Tapestry — created in the 1070s and depicting the Norman conquest of England — will be stored in a purpose-built conservation facility. Its removal from the current display case in the Grand Seminary, adjacent to the new extension, will be coordinated closely with French state services, the official owner of the work, to ensure the protection of this invaluable 11th-century artifact. The tapestry is classified as a Historic Monument and inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.
© RHSP
The new museum will sit at the heart of Bayeux and combine historic and contemporary elements in two expansive architectural volumes. Within an urban site of roughly 118,400 square feet, an extension dedicated to the Bayeux Tapestry will be added beside the Grand Seminary, which has hosted the tapestry for around 40 years and will remain open until the end of fall 2025.
“This cultural and historical anchor needed to stay close to the Bayeux Cathedral, to preserve the continuity of its story and to meet our tourism objectives,” said Loïc Jamin, Bayeux Deputy Mayor responsible for Museums, Tourism and Heritage Promotion.
© RHSP
The extension will present the tapestry on an inclined support more than 229 feet long, designed to meet the strict conservation needs of this extremely fragile textile. The tapestry will be housed within a hermetically sealed conservation chamber that shields it from fluctuations in light, temperature and pollution. A long viewing window will allow the public to see the work while keeping it protected. The dedicated support and layout are designed to enable visitors to fully appreciate the scale and craftsmanship of the embroidery.
The tapestry will occupy the central position in the museum’s exhibition galleries, which will double in size with the new construction. Two levels of display will allow visitors to view the embroidery from multiple perspectives, supported by comprehensive interpretive displays and contextual information.
© RHSP
Many first-time visitors describe seeing the Bayeux Tapestry as a defining lifetime experience. The redesigned viewing space, scheduled to open in 2027, aims to create a striking visual introduction: a gradual reveal of the work overlooking the exhibition gallery with a sweeping 180-degree perspective. Equipped with audio guides and layered interpretive content, visitors will be able to follow the tapestry’s narrative closely and develop a rich intellectual and emotional connection with this extraordinary embroidered masterpiece.