The new Musée du Débarquement in Arromanches-les-Bains, France, redefines how architecture can preserve and communicate history. Opened in 2023, the museum overlooks the remains of Mulberry B, the artificial harbor constructed by British forces after the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944. Replacing the original museum inaugurated in 1954, the new building creates a stronger connection between visitors, the historic landscape, and one of the most significant engineering achievements of the Second World War.

Designed by Projectiles, the museum embraces transparency and openness, allowing the surrounding coastline to become an integral part of the visitor experience. Large glazed façades frame uninterrupted views of the English Channel and the remains of Mulberry B, ensuring that the landscape itself serves as a permanent exhibition alongside the museum’s collections.

The structural concept is defined by exposed steel and concrete elements that reference the monumental Phoenix caissons used to construct the temporary harbor during the D-Day operations. Towering 8-metre (26-foot) columns, a cantilevered entrance canopy, and steel joists spanning up to 12 metres (39 feet) create expansive column-free galleries capable of accommodating large historical exhibits while maintaining a clear visual connection to the outside environment.

Steel profile specialist Forster supplied the building’s advanced steel profile systems, entrance portals, and fire-resistant door solutions. The slim steel framing enabled the installation of extensive glazed surfaces without compromising structural performance, safety, or architectural expression. The precise façade grid reinforces the museum’s industrial character while echoing the geometry of the wartime harbor structures visible offshore.