Two years after designing the mechanical horse Zeus that galloped on the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games, the Nantes-based Atelier Blam is now working on the manufacture of a 72-meter-long table intended to house the Bayeux tapestry in its completely renovated museum.
A technical challenge befitting the thousand-year-old work
According to Aurélien Meyer, founder of Atelier Blam, this extremely complex table must accommodate a 69,3-meter-long tapestry without ever tearing or altering it, with details designed to respect the original work as closely as possible. An integrated mechanical system will also allow the entire 72-meter embroidery to be turned over to facilitate restoration work.
Based between Nantes, where its headquarters are located, and Couëron, where its workshops are located, Blam has already delivered a first prototype before starting the final design of the table, the manufacture of which is due to begin in the fall for an installation planned for July 2027.
From a mythological horse to an 11th-century monument
Aurélien Meyer says he is particularly enthusiastic about moving from an ephemeral creation, designed for a two-minute performance during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, to the preservation of one of the great monuments of French history. The tapestry, which recounts the Norman conquest of England in 1066, was exhibited this summer at the British Museum in London before its return to France.
Founded in 2015, Atelier Blam has established itself over the years as a reference in the design of large-scale technical and artistic devices, working with both cultural institutions and major luxury brands.
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