Lost in Time

Although the world-famous Lascaux Cave paintings date back 15,000 to 20,000 years, they were not seen by modern humans until their accidental rediscovery by a dog in 1940. By 1948 the network of caves were open to the public, but the damage created by visitors led to their closure in 1963. In their place, a replica, Lascaux II, was created and opened in 1983. The advancement of 3D laser scanning and casting technologies in the ensuing years mean the latest iteration, Lascaux IV — Lascaux III is a touring reproduction — is the most faithful to the original. Within this history of the caves and its recreations, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen speaks about Snøhetta's design and what visitors to Lascaux IV experience in the film made by OiOiOi and Snøhetta: