Paris is known as a global destination for art and has unveiled their most recent art gallery that was once the former stock exchange. Paris spent $195 million to create the Bourse de Commerce landmark museum for contemporary art.
The massive construction project required three years to complete with the redesign led by Japanese architect Tadao Ando working with a team of Parisian architects including NeM Architects Agency. The completed museum spans over 100,000 square feet (or 10,000 square meters) featuring the contemporary art collection of French magnate billionaire François Pinault.
François Pinault is known as the founder of multiple French companies including the investment company Artémis and the luxury conglomerate Kering that is known as the parent company of luxury fashion houses including Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. Pinault has spent the last 20 years opening a private museum in Paris to house his art collection that he described as a dream that turned into an ambition.
The Bourse de Commerce Museum was designated a protected building in the 18th century while undergoing several renovations over the years and the circular shape was established in 1767. The original building was the site of a grains exchange for the city being the hub for the sale of wheat and storage.
Architect Ando added a central concrete cylinder beneath the building’s cupola to link the design of the past and present to create a vision of the future. The Bourse de Commerce Museum features an elegant café with the Halle aux Grains eatery paying homage to the building’s past being a grains exchange and is also located within walking distance of the world-famous Louvre.
This building already holds historical value for the city of Paris and becoming a spacious museum will support the arts culture in Paris. This historical building will secure the landmark status of being one of the biggest future destinations in France. The research for this article was sourced from CNN.
