27-05-2025
Paris is getting a huge new art museum this year
The Cartier Foundation, a contemporary art gallery that's been nestled in Paris 's 14th arrondissement for the last 30 years, is opening a brand-new home in a much bigger location. It's set to be the latest addition to the French capital's already dizzyingly impressive arts and culture scene.
Slated to open in October, the contemporary art centre's new branch will be located at 2, place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre and close to the Ministry of Culture. Occupying a 8,500-square-metre space, it will become the largest private art centre in Paris.
The building dates back to 1852, and while the exterior has retained its charming original character, the interior has been redesigned by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who is also the mastermind behind the museum's current location on Boulevard Raspail.
Half of the space will be dedicated to exhibitions, allowing the foundation to exhibit its own collection of more than 2,500 works for the first time. The other half will comprise a restaurant, a bookshop, an auditorium and offices, which will all be designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel.
The new space promises five new 'mobile platforms', according to En Vols, which are 'fully adaptable' and will 'radically transform the traditional museum experience'. Intriguing, right?
'Exposition Générale' will be the inaugural exhibition, showcasing nearly 600 works that showcase the foundation's legacy from 1984 to today.
The art centre is set to open on October 25, 2025. In the meantime, you can sneak a preview of the Fondation at the Venice Architecture Biennale, where some of the museum's architectural concepts will be on display at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini until September 14.
