Created as a space to celebrate artistic creation in all its forms, the brand new Fondation Louis Vuitton was commissioned by Bernard Arnault and designed by celebrated architecture master and Wallpaper* guest editor Frank Gehry (see W*175); the latter's grand retrospective at the Centre Pompidou also opened in Paris earlier this month.
Located within the green fields of the Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne, the structure was created as a composition of white blocks (and is also known as 'the iceberg'). The building's twelve curving glass 'sails', supported by wooden beams, define its shape. Gehry was inspired by the lightness of 19th century glass and garden architecture. Transparency was key to the design.
Inside, eleven exhibition galleries will host temporary and permanent shows, from the foundation's collection. The project also includes an auditorium, meeting rooms, a café, a bookshop and education facilities. The views from the top terraces stretch across the park.
The foundation is located within the green fields of the Jardin d'Acclimatation. Photography: Iwan Baan.
The design was inspired by the lightness of 19th century glass and garden architecture. Photography: Iwan Baan.
The building's twelve curving glass 'sails' are supported by wooden beams. Photography: Iwan Baan.
ADDRESS
Fondation Louis Vuitton
8, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi
Bois de Boulogne
75116 Paris
-
America’s first all-electric travel trailer broadens its range with two new modelsThe Lightship AE.1 Atmos and Panos are the two newest trim lines for this ground-breaking streamlined travel trailer, an airy design with integrated electric powertrain for added mileage and quiet camping
-
Step inside Acne Studios’ pink-hued Tokyo flagshipAcne Studios contrasts sharp minimalism with soft touches at its playful new Tokyo flagship, designed in collaboration with Swedish studio Halleroed
-
At Rubra, thrilling tropical cuisine comes courtesy of the youngest World’s Best Female ChefAt chef Daniela Soto-Innes’ exceptional restaurant in Mexico’s Punta de Mita, the cooking is as ambitious as the view
-
The Grand Palais is a Parisian architectural feast, emerging from a mammoth restoration projectThe Grand Palais reopens, unfurling its spectacular architectural splendour, meticulously restored by Chatillon Architectes – take a tour
-
Surrealist townhouse Villa Junot lights up Montmartre – and it’s for rentWe go inside Montmartre’s Villa Junot, a former composer’s home reimagined by interior design studio Claves, where surrealism meets art deco splendour
-
A Venice sneak peek into the new Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean NouvelA new home for Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain by Jean Nouvel will open later this year in Paris; in the meantime, the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 offered the perfect platform for a sneak preview of what's to come
-
Stay in a Parisian apartment which artfully balances minimalism and warmthTour this pied-a-terre in the 7th arrondissement, designed by Valeriane Lazard
-
The museum of the future: how architects are redefining cultural landmarksWhat does the museum of the future look like? As art evolves, so do the spaces that house it – pushing architects to rethink form and function
-
Paris’ architecturally fascinating Villejuif-Gustave Roussy metro station is now openVillejuif-Gustave Roussy is part of the new Grand Paris Express, a transport network that will raise the architectural profile of the Paris suburbs
-
Explore wood architecture, Paris' new timber tower and how to make sustainable construction look ‘iconic’A new timber tower brings wood architecture into sharp focus in Paris and highlights ways to craft buildings that are both sustainable and look great: we spoke to project architects LAN, and explore the genre through further examples
-
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain unveils plans for new Jean Nouvel buildingFondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain has plans for a new building in Paris, working with architect Jean Nouvel
