Renzo Piano has designed the expansion in collaboration with the French landscape architect Michel Corajoud. It is just part of gardening that Renzo Piano at the opening warned that the work was not completely finished, "50 percent failure." By May 2012, the landscaping—designed by Michel Corajoud—should be finished, and visitors will be able to see the full intention of Piano’s design.
The project of euros 14 millon, was commissioned by the Association Oeuvre Notre Dame du Haut, the same organization that hired Corbusier to design the chapel, completed in 1954. So as not to detract from Corbusier’s building, Piano inserted the visitors’ center and convent into the side of a grassy slope leading up to chapel. The convent includes residences for 12 Poor Clare nuns and a small oratory.
The removal of the old visitor center (an unfortunate intervention), integration into the natural environment, as well as the choice of materials (concrete, zinc and wood) are designed to provide unity to the whole.
Sketch of project © RPBW
Opponents petitioned the Minister of Culture of France to support the original bill and against the proposed reform. Among them were important architecture figures, such as Rafael Moneo, Richard Meier and Cesar Pelli, among others. There was also a petition supporting the project with Massimiliano Fuksas, David Adjaye, Tadao Ando, John Pawson, and more.
Piano is no stranger to this controversy and understands the position of critics of the project. "I love Le Corbusier building," he says. "For me, it's a masterpiece. Became one of the world's most beautiful places for meditation. If a different architect had been hired for this job", he said," probably would be worried, so I can understand."