NEW DRESSING ROOM - MANNEKEN PIS
LOCATION
Brussels, Belgium
CLIENT
ASBC Brussels musées expositions
PARTNERS
Sixtine & Anne Derasse (interior architect)
ARTIST
-
PROJET
2005
CONSTRUCTION
2005
AREA
85 sqm
CONTEXT
museum
SETTING
city centre
It is the spirit of the Maison du Roi, a large old mansion situated on the prestigious Grand-Place in Brussels, now a museum, which suggested the idea of treating the three rooms devoted to Manneken Pis as if they were a 'home'. Mannekin Pis, the colourful cult figure of Brussels folklore, whose story dates back to the 8th century, has a fabulous, little-known collection of over 720 ancient and modern costumes. Thanks to this adaptation of the 'dressing-room' concept to the museum, the permanent exhibition devoted to Manneken Pis displays, in a fun way, over 90 figurines 'dressed up ' in displays with captions, and presents, both on hangers and in glass drawers with labels, a large number of other precious outfits and accessories belonging to the diminutive celebrity. Iconographic documents and an interactive multimedia terminal complete the discovery of the boy legend. The diversity of light sources (indirect lighting, lamps and fibre optics) respect strict museological constraints. In addition, the mobile display cases enable the layout of the rooms to be changed. The materials and colours are in neutral tones, in order to maintain an atmosphere of calm, while showing off the exuberance of the costumes belonging to Manneken Pis.
