French architect Jean Nouvel has unveiled his vision to relocate the Fondation Cartier art gallery to a historic Haussmann building in Paris. The proposal was showcased through an exhibition at Fondazione Giorgio Cini during the Venice Architecture Biennale.
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Moving from Glass to Stone
The Fondation Cartier, currently housed in a glass and steel structure by Nouvel from 1994, will move into a 19th-century building near the Louvre. Originally built in 1855, this new space offers a stark contrast to the current modernist home.
Architecture as a Tool for Expression
Nouvel plans to transform the building with floor-to-ceiling openings, increasing accessibility from Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Rue de Rivoli, and Place du Palais-Royal. Inside, mobile platforms and retractable ceilings will enable flexible exhibition configurations with heights of up to 11 metres.
A Site for Artistic Boldness
“This site calls for boldness—courage that artists may not express elsewhere,” Nouvel said. He aims for Fondation Cartier to become a venue of spatial freedom and experimentation not possible in more conventional institutions.
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A Walk-Through Model in Venice
At the Biennale, Nouvel’s exhibition includes a sectional wooden model split down the middle, allowing visitors to explore the interior vision. Plans, drawings, photographs, and projections further detail the transformation.
Nouvel’s recent projects also include angled skyscrapers in Paris and a lattice-wrapped tower in São Paulo.
