Visual Reference: Rendering of the Fondation Cartier at place du Palais-Royal, Paris. Photo- Jean Nouvel/ADAGP
As Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain celebrates its 40th anniversary, it has announced a new chapter with plans for a stunning new location near the Louvre. Slated to open in 2025, the new space will occupy a historic Haussmannian building on Place du Palais-Royal, undergoing a transformative renovation led by Pritzker Prize–winning French architect Jean Nouvel. Nouvel, who designed Fondation Cartier’s iconic glass-and-steel home on Boulevard Raspail in 1994, is now tasked with reimagining this storied structure into a bold and dynamic hub for contemporary art.
Built in 1855 as part of Napoleon III’s ambitious urban redevelopment, the building has a rich history. Originally a five-star hotel, it later became a department store in 1863 and eventually the Louvre des Antiquaires in 1978, housing antique shops and galleries. Nouvel aims to honor this legacy while redefining its future: “A site like this demands boldness and courage—qualities that may not emerge in other institutional spaces,” he remarked. “The Fondation Cartier will stand out for its spatial diversity and the innovative forms of exhibitions it can support, offering possibilities that are impossible elsewhere.”
View of the building, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, 2013. © Jean Nouvel, Emmanuel Cattani & Associés. Picture© Luc Boegly.
Originally established in Jouy-en-Josas, France, in 1984, Fondation Cartier moved to Paris in 1994. Its collection of approximately 4,000 works has supported groundbreaking exhibitions by artists such as Claudia Andujar, Matthew Barney, Malick Sidibé and Sarah Sze. With its upcoming relocation, Fondation Cartier is poised to continue its legacy as a trailblazer in contemporary art while embracing the bold spirit of its historic new home.