Loan for exhibitions

The Archives de la construction moderne lend documents (plans, models, photographs, manuscripts…) from their collections for temporary exhibitions organized by cultural institutions.

Loan request

To be considered, any loan request must reach us at least six months before the scheduled date for transporting the works to the exhibition venue.

Costs related to the processing of the loan request and the preparation of the documents will be charged to the borrowing institution in accordance with our fees.

Interested institutions are invited to contact us to receive a copy of our framework agreement, which outlines all terms and conditions, as well as the forms to be completed to submit a request. We only consider requests submitted in this form.

Contact us for a loan request

Further information

• Evaluation of the request
• Overview of conditions
• Fees (version 01.2026)

Prêts 2016-2024

Evaluation of the request

Requests are assessed by the management and conservation officers. This evaluation takes into account various criteria, such as the state of conservation of the items, their availability for the proposed dates, and the planned exhibition conditions.

Overview of conditions*

Purpose and duration of the loan – Loans are granted exclusively for exhibitions of a cultural or scientific nature, organised in an appropriate setting (e.g. library, museum, archives). The maximum duration of a loan is three months.

Submission of requests – Loan requests must be submitted in writing at least three months before the planned opening of the exhibition, in order to allow ACM to undertake the necessary preparations. When the request concerns a large set of documents or objects (more than 20 items), it must be submitted at least six months before the opening of the exhibition. Requests must be submitted using the official documentation (forms) provided by ACM upon request (contact: [email protected]). They must include the duration and location of the exhibition (together with a Facility Report) as well as a description of the exhibition theme.

Conservation and display conditions – Exhibition spaces must provide sufficient protection against risks related to fire, water, theft, or vandalism. Documents must be displayed exclusively in closed display cases (or frames). Climatic and lighting conditions must comply with the conservation requirements for heritage documents:

• relative humidity: 50% ± 5% (except in special cases);
• temperature: 20 °C ± 2 °C (except in special cases);
• no direct sunlight or UV radiation;
• lighting limited to 50–150 lux, depending on the nature of the documents.

Installation and dismantling of the exhibition – The borrower must comply with the conditions set by ACM regarding the display of the loaned items. Installation, setup, and dismantling of the exhibition must be carried out by qualified personnel with experience in handling and conserving heritage and archival materials.

Authorised use and possible modifications – Loaned items may only be used for the purposes specifically approved. Any change of venue, extension of the loan period, or additional use requires prior written authorisation. Any photography, filming, recording (cinema, television, etc.), or reproduction also requires the explicit authorisation of ACM.

Transport and logistics – The organisation of transport is the responsibility of the borrower but must be discussed with ACM. Transport must in principle be carried out by a company specialising in the transport of works of art, unless otherwise agreed. All costs related to packing, transport, transport insurance, and customs clearance are borne by the borrower. ACM reserves the right to have the transport accompanied by a representative of ACM, at the borrower’s expense.

Insurance – The borrower must insure the loaned items for the entire duration of the loan, nail to nail, against all risks. The borrower must accept the insurance values set by ACM and undertakes to cover any damage up to those values.

Loan agreement – A loan agreement (framework contract) is drawn up for each loan. It must be signed by the borrower and returned to ACM before any transport takes place.

* This is an overview; the framework agreement prevails and serves as the reference.