July 1999: The Caverne du Dragon, one of the most important memorials of WWI, offers visitors a totally new dimension.

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The Building...

The Aisne County Council hired famous architect Nasrine Seraji-Bozorgzad and scenographer Lef Kazouka to renovate the Caverne du Dragon, creating a contemporary facility that showcases the exceptional site.

As visitors approach the building, they get an immediate sense of the intense nature of the place, surrounded by a spectacular panorama. Overlooking the Aisne valley, the newly designed building looks like a pavilion topped with a floating roof, located alongside the Chemin des Dames road. The slatted wooden walkway to the museum calls to mind the duckboards of the trenches, and the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the entrance hall provide visitors a breathtaking view of the Aisne valley, giving them an idea of what it was like to be a sentry during the war.
Inside, in the light-filled cafeteria, there are telescopes offering a panoramic view of the valley. Just beyond, there is a projection room, and then the entrance that descends straight down to the Caverne du Dragon. 

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...The Cavern

Scenography serving History. The Caverne du Dragon underwent several architectural and artistic conversions to showcase the original nature of the site.
With the shadows on the walls and the light cast by the screens, panels and showcases, the lighting is designed to enhance the visitors' experience. Each phase of the visit recounts a bit of history from different angles, be it geographical, social or military.
In the underground rooms, visitors discover at each step the areas steeped in history and the daily lives of the WWI soldiers on the Chemin des Dames and in the Caverne du Dragon. The public can learn more about the history of WWI through audiovisual materials, information boards, handcrafted art objects, and photo collections.
The limestone walls are testimony to the areas set up during WWI, including the chapel, the cemetery, the well and the hospital.