Fragonard Parfumeur opens its seventh museum within the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, whose origins date back to the 14th century. True to their passion for the heritage and history of Provence, Anne, Agnès, and Françoise Costa, the fourth generation at the helm of the family business, chose in 2019 to preserve a priceless piece of Arlesian heritage: the fashion and costume collection of historians Odile and Magali Pascal.
The Costa family’s fashion and costume collection, presented since 1997 at the Musée Provençal du Costume et du Bijou in Grasse, and that of the Pascal family are reunited in Arles, offering a unique perspective on the clothing styles and art of living of the French Mediterranean region since the mid-18th century. It was in 2019 that the Fragonard house acquired the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, located at 16 rue de la Calade in Arles.
Fragonard Parfumeur opens its seventh museum within the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, whose origins date back to the 14th century. True to their passion for the heritage and history of Provence, Anne, Agnès, and Françoise Costa, the fourth generation at the helm of the family business, chose in 2019 to preserve a priceless piece of Arlesian heritage: the fashion and costume collection of historians Odile and Magali Pascal.
The Costa family’s fashion and costume collection, presented since 1997 at the Musée Provençal du Costume et du Bijou in Grasse, and that of the Pascal family are reunited in Arles, offering a unique perspective on the clothing styles and art of living of the French Mediterranean region since the mid-18th century. It was in 2019 that the Fragonard house acquired the Hôtel Bouchaud de Bussy, located at 16 rue de la Calade in Arles.
A unique place
renovated by Studio KO
Built in the Middle Ages, this private mansion underwent numerous modifications over the following centuries by the illustrious Arlesian families who owned it (Nicolas des Alberts, Pierre Cabroll, and Honoré de Someyre). Between 1717 and 1720, Antoine Laugier, a wealthy bourgeois, gave it its monumental classical façade, inspired by the Hôtel de Ville.
It owes its current name to the Bouchaud de Bussy family, who owned it from 1723 to 1884. The interiors still retain traces of its past history, such as the androne (medieval covered passageway), the grand staircase and its central opening, a true masterpiece of 18th-century bravura, as well as the succession of salons and state rooms arranged around a bright central courtyard.
To transform this Arlesian residence into a museum, Fragonard partnered with Studio KO, founded by Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, who designed and executed the scenography and museography.
Unobtrusive yet prolific, this architectural duo met while studying at the Beaux-Arts before founding their own practice in 2000. Having become a key figure on the international scene, Studio KO now employs around sixty people across Paris, London, and Marrakech. Following the prestigious Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Musée de la Mode et du Costume (Museum of Fashion and Costume) demonstrates their desire to embrace heritage through the creation of custom-made settings. Karl and Olivier immediately envisioned themselves within the walls of the Hôtel Bouchaud, seeking to play on the tension between their contemporary world and the classic allure of the space.
Concerned about the building’s historicity, they were equally concerned about the textile collection, which is extremely fragile and requires special care, and the result is a testament to their talented creativity.
To combine this transformation with respect for the existing architectural heritage, they worked closely with the architectural firm NDA – Nathalie D’Artigues, which oversaw the building’s historic restoration.
The monument’s 1,000 m² site underwent a major heritage restoration, on the one hand, and the building’s transformation into a museum, on the other. The immense restoration project, which lasted six years, allowed for the rediscovery of the original room layout and volumes, the reopening of the arches in the vestibule, as well as the restoration of the ceilings, interior courtyards, facades, roofs, woodwork, and the historic staircase. A contemporary staircase, designed by Studio KO, was installed on the reverse side of the facade, which has undergone a complete restoration.
The museum’s atmosphere is the result of extensive research into the materiality and colorimetry of the Provençal art of living. To this end, Studio KO has opted for shiny floors reminiscent of Marseille earthenware, walls in the colors of the boat canvases that sail up the Rhône, and a gilded brass door, like a Provençal jewel, opening onto the magic of the collections, some of which are more than three centuries old.
Portrait of Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty (Studio KO). © Noel Manalili
