As the French city bids for Unesco heritage status, the stylish Musée de la Romanité shows off the extensive treasures of Roman Nîmes

Nîmes’ spectacular Musée de la Romanité will open on 2 June in a €59.5m complex next to the city’s equally imposing 20,000-seat Arènes de Nîmes – an amphitheatre used for events such as the recent Great Roman Games.

The new museum, which will have free admission during its opening weekend, was designed by Brazilian-born architect Elizabeth de Portzamparc, who has incorporated waxed concrete, aluminium, wood and glass into the three giant rectangular buildings, the largest of which is swathed in a toga of glass tiles and is in front of the Roman amphitheatre.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The museum’s facade. Photograph: Serge Urvoy

Portzamparc sees the museum as a “Citizen of Nîmes” wrapped in its own toga. The folds and gaps in the “fabric”, formed by 7,000 angled, silkscreened glass tiles, are a dramatic visual motif and also work as a peep-hole into and out from the museum. Climbers will make maintenance checks on each tile every three months.

The opening of the Romanity museum comes at a key time as the city has applied to be listed as a Unesco world heritage site. The final decision will be made at the end of June. Daniel-Jean Valade, Nîmes’ cultural attache, believes tourist numbers would increase by 30% if Nîmes joins the list. The museum hopes to attract around 250,000 visitors per year and its first temporary exhibition, Gladiators, heroes of the Colosseum, will run from its opening until 24 September.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Photograph: Stéphane Ramillon

An aluminium, helicoidal central staircase leads up towards the centrepiece of the museum, a mosaic depicting Pentheus (a king of Thebes) being murdered by his mother, which was unearthed during building works in 2006. In near-perfect condition, it was subsequently reconstructed, tile by tile, on the museum’s first floor. A frieze of headless eagles, marble busts, limestone nymphs and a sixth-century sarcophagus are among the other 5,000 pieces on display, many coming from Nîmes’ now-closed archaeology museum.

Portzamparc wanted to create a democratic space, so the main building has a central thoroughfare heading into tiered gardens where everyone is welcome to wander, without paying to enter the museum. The hallway follows the line of the city’s Augustan ramparts, a section of which is left uncovered in the gardens.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Aerial view of the new museum and Nîmes

The museum has a huge range of hi-tech gadgetry: immersive projections, touchscreens, holograms, sound showers and interactive displays. It also has an auditorium, document rooms, cafe, giftshop, restaurant and huge roof terrace, from where visitors can see the nine hills of Nîmes and many of the city’s Roman buildings. As well as the amphitheatre, notable sights include the Maison Carrée, Tour Magne, Temple of Diana and Roman gates.

• Open daily (except Tuesday) 10am-7pm (8pm July and August, 6pm November to end of March). Adults €8, children 7-17 €3, under 7s free, family ticket (2+2) €19, museedelaromanite.fr