The City of Light boasts a plethora of dazzling new venues. 18 venues have now cropped up on the Paris scene, offering yet more memorable options in terms of leisure and culture.
Check out the new Hôtel de la Marine - Bourse de Commerce - Palais Galliera and Musée de l’Orangerie – Musée Carnavalet – Musée des Egouts, as well as the Maison Poincarré and the Maison de Victor Hugo, all of which have reopened their doors to the public.
© Courtesy Pinault Collection David Atlan
Opening 22 May 2021
The Bourse de Commerce, a landmark circular building in the district of Les Halles since 1889, has been reconverted to house the Pinault Collection, and was inaugurated on 22 May 2021.
Japanese architect Tadao Andō has designed a spectacular concrete envelope beneath the historic fresco and glass roof, creating a pared-down, light-filled space perfectly suited to contemporary art.
With 5,000 works from the 20th century to the present day, the Pinault Collection showcases works by leading artists including Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Cindy Shermann, Man Ray, Daniel Buren, Pierre Soulages, Raymond Depardon, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Maurizio Cattelan. All the artistic disciplines are represented: sculpture, painting, photography, video, and installations … The Bourse de Commerce will therefore be programming themed exhibitions, monographic shows, commissions, cartes blanches and in situ projects. Talks, meetings, screenings, concerts, and performance will form an important part of the programme.
On the top floor, the restaurant La Halle aux Grains will have Michelin-starred chef Michel Bras at its helm, and overlooks the gardens of Les Halles, Saint Eustache church and the Centre Pompidou in the distance.
© JP DELAGARDE CMN
Opening May 2021
This famous palace, lining the Place de la Concorde since 1774, has been transformed into an exceptional place showcasing the French ‘art de vivre’ in all its glory. Formerly used by the monarchy to store furniture, then the headquarters of France’s Naval Ministry, it is now a vitrine for traditions and outstanding know-how, in a magnificent, restored 18th and 19th century setting. Inside, two themed routes lead visitors around the apartments of the Intendant, the state reception rooms and the loggia overlooking the Place de la Concorde.
The starred chefs Ducasse and Jean-François Piège will oversee the tea room and restaurant, thereby contributing to the promotion of the arts of the table, the art of entertaining and gastronomy.
Finally, an exhibition space will show the famous Al Thani art collection, comprising 6,000 works: antiques, paintings, medieval manuscripts, ancient and historical objects, and jewellery.
© Sophie Boegly
Opening 19 May 2021
The collections of the Musée de l’Orangerie are now presented in an entirely renovated and enlarged space. The École de Paris (early 20th century) is exhibited in harmony with the eight Water Lilies shown on the upper floor in the spectacular oval-shaped rooms designed by Monet himself.
The visit passes from large scale works by the Modern Primitives (Picasso, the Douanier Rousseau, Derain, Modigliani, and Matisse), to monographic rooms (Renoir, Cezanne, Soutine, etc.). The collection assembled by Paul Guillaume and Domenica Walter features paintings from Impressionism to modern art, in addition to sculpture from African and Oceania gathered by Guillaume and deposited by the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac. Finally, two new rooms feature a rotation of works chosen from the collection, as well as a contemporary perspective on the Water Lilies.
© Di Messina
Opening 19 May 2021
At last, a fashion museum in Paris! After months of work, the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, has been extended and unveils its Gabrielle Chanel galleries. Its priceless collection of 200,000 items from the 18th century to the present day can now be displayed and presented; clothing of course, but also accessories, sketches, and photographs. The elegant upper galleries of the palace, in cut stone, typical of 19th century architecture, are now complemented by vast vaulted cellars in red brick on the garden level. An ambitious programme of major temporary exhibitions will complement the permanent exhibition, which will be free of charge.
The Palais Galliera is well situated on Chaillot hill a few steps from the Eiffel Tower. It now boasts a bookshop-gift shop and an outdoor restaurant for lunch and snacks, open during the season.
© Musée Carnavalet
Opening 29 May 2021
The Musée Carnavalet, Musée Historique de la Ville de Paris, has reopened to the public after a large-scale renovation programme.
The museum, at the heart of the Marais, occupies the 16th and 17th century hôtels particuliers Carnavalet and Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau. The museography has been redesigned to provide visits that will appeal to all. With 600,000 pieces – more than the Louvre! – preserves the memory of Paris, from Prehistory to the present day. On display are wood panelling and interior décor, sculptures, paintings, posters, models, photographs, signs, and furniture, including the famous bedroom of Marcel Proust.
Visitors can choose a themed visit, lasting from one to three hours: architecture, art history, historic period … No less than 10% of works are displayed at the height of a child, and digital devices enhance the visitor's experience. Access remains free for all. As well as a bookshop-gift shop, there is a restaurant in the museum overlooking the gardens and open independently of the museum.
© Benoit Fougeirol
Opening 19 May 2021
On Place des Vosges, the apartment that Victor Hugo rented from 1832 to 1848 in the hôtel particulier de Rohan-Guémené has reopened after refurbishment and now offers a new visitor layout. Admission is free. The furniture objects and works of art presented in their newly renovated decor, retrace the life of Victor Hugo who wrote several of his major works here.
The leafy courtyard, now accessible, has regained its fountain, a copy of the fountain that had been moved by Victor Hugo to his garden at Hauteville House on the island of Guernesey
A delightful tea room rounds off this visit to another world in the historic heart of Paris.
© OTCP
Wisely hidden under the forecourt of Notre-Dame, below point Zero - the point from which road distances in France are calculated -, the Archaeological Crypt retraces more than 2,000 years of the city’s history. Attached to the Musée Carnavalet, this 2,000 m² space is one of the largest crypts in Europe. Surprisingly, it was created after the discovery of Gallo-Roman remains when the municipality was undertaking a building project for an underground car park on the Ile de la Cité! Today, the crypt offers a fun and interactive visit, across the ages, from the ancient port of Lutecia to the construction of Notre-Dame. Closed after the fire in the cathedral, it reopened this spring with a new exhibition, with models and 3D videos, on this heritage masterpiece celebrated by Victor Hugo.
© Arforia
Opening 28 May 2021
Closed for work since 2005, the new Samaritaine has been long and eagerly awaited. Built between 1926 and 1928 in the art nouveau style, this department store is part of the history of Paris. To safeguard this treasured heritage overlooking the Seine, the LVMH group, which has owned the property since the early 2000s, has invested 750 million euros in massive renovation and refurbishment work. Slated to be inaugurated last year, the opening of this ‘temple to the art of living’ was postponed to this spring. Behind the immense glass façade is a luxury shopping centre, offices, housing, and a nursery. On the top floor, the luxury hotel Le Cheval Blanc will have a restaurant, a leafy terrace, a swimming pool and more than 70 bedrooms. A new chapter in the history of the Pont Neuf department store has begun.
© Grand Palais
Opening 12 June 2021
As the Grand Palais on the Champs-Élysées closes its doors for renovation work until 2024, a new temporary exhibition space has been designed to replace it on the esplanade of the Champs-de-Mars. This 10,000 m² building, with a stunning arched wooden structure, designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte has opened after less than one year of construction work. Fashion shows, exhibitions, events, Saut Hermès, Olympic Games 2024 … A tantalizing line-up!
Opening 06 May 2021
After the Plateau in Paris (19th) and the Château in Rentilly (77), the Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain (Frac) has opened a new conservation and exhibition space for its works, Les Réserves, in Romainville, Seine-Saint-Denis. Inaugurated on 6 May, this new cultural space offers 400 m² for free exhibitions and 1,600 m² of storage facilities devoted to the management of almost 2,000 works. The Réserves seek to be a major pillar for artistic creation, a committed player in local life and a driving force for discovering art in a new way and by all types of public. A first exhibition focusses on the theme of childhood. Each visitor will soon be able to choose which works will be displayed via an app. An ideal opportunity to reappropriate contemporary art!
Opening end 2021
Initially scheduled for 2018, the Étoile Voltaire culture centre is eagerly awaited by Parisians and in particular residents of the 11th arrondissement. This new type of cinema will welcome visitors by the end of the year at the beginning of Avenue Parmentier. The huge glass façade building will house 5 cinemas, as well as the Maison du Cinéma and the Société des Réalisateurs Français which will organize workshops, exhibitions, and talks. Plus, the project also includes an events hall managed by the team from the Bellevilloise, a social solidarity restaurant signed Thierry Marx and a rooftop terrace!
No better place could have been possible than the campus of the Sorbonne, and in particular the former laboratory of Jean Perrin (Nobel prize for physics 1926) to host a space for outreach, popularisation, and the exhibition of mathematics. The Maison Poincarré seeks to showcase this science which is too often limited to an audience of initiates. All its secrets will therefore be revealed to the public in a 900 m² visit of the office of Jean Perrin, the amphitheatre, the portrait gallery and the tea room (a popular meeting place for researchers throughout history). The visit can be undertaken independently or accompanied by mediators.
Perfect for understanding how mathematics pervades our daily lives!
© Jean Baptiste Gurliat Ville de Paris
The Musée des Égouts reopens on 23rd October 2021 to reveal the inner workings of Paris. This unusual museum is located in a small part of the city's 2100 km of galleries. During the tour, the entire water distribution system throughout history is explained. Starting with the only source of water, the Seine, which provided water to Parisians for centuries, through the various engineering systems and machines, to Haussmann's sewage works … You will discover everything about this fascinating network!
© Musée de la chasse et de la nature
Opening 2021
Housed in the Hôtels de Guénégaud et de Mongelas, in the 3rd arrondissement, the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature has undergone a two-year renovation to expand and occupy the second floors of the two buildings. With an additional 250 square metres, the museum has many new highlights this year, in addition to the rich Sommer collection already on display. Particular attention has been paid to questions about the relationship between man and nature, notably through a diorama on the geological Anthropocene era. Other new features include a cutting-edge and arty event programme and a bestiary bringing together birds and stuffed fish on the eaves.
Opening 2021
What better way to rejuvenate a neighbourhood than to give unused buildings a second life? Built in 1879, the former Château-Landon fire station is to be completely renovated to house a centre dedicated to sustainable fashion. In addition to workshops and exhibitions, the place will welcome special events, but will also, and most importantly, be an authentic living space with a coworking area, a cafe, a rooftop terrace and ... a 250 m² nightclub! With its opening slated for this summer, the new Château-London caserne is set to be the place to be in summer.
Opening spring 2021
After the success of their guinguettes in Buttes-Chaumont, on the quaysides near Pont Alexandre III and west of Paris in Asnières-sur-Seine, the team at Rosa Bonheur is opening another venue this summer in the east of Paris in the Bois de Vincennes, and not just anywhere … Within the 8,000 m² of the Chalet de la Porte Jaune and its adjoining buildings (the little farm and belvedere), on the little island of lake Minimes. Tasty pizza, expertly crafted cocktails, fresh rosé, lively dance floors and a cosmopolitan crowd ... This new address takes the ingredients that have made the group so successful and puts them in a bucolic setting. Evenings promise to go on until late in this new hot spot.
As movie fans have missed out on movie going in recent months, the MK2 group has decided to reimagine cinema by opening a boutique hotel next to their space on Avenue Diderot. What makes it special? The Paradisio is a temple to cinema. 34 rooms and 2 suites have been turned into private cinemas with a giant screen, an impeccable sound system and a cutting-edge catalogue. In addition to these unique rooms and a bar-cafe created in collaboration with Bob's Juice Bar, the hotel will offer an open-air film club on the rooftop terrace from May to October. We can already see ourselves there!
Opening on 19 May for kids and on 9 June for all
Climbing enthusiasts have been waiting impatiently ... At last, France's largest climbing facility will open its doors to everyone on 9 June, a stone's throw from the Porte d'Italie in the 13th arrondissement. This new 4,000 m² complex is entirely dedicated to climbing and offers 2,000 m² of bouldering, rope walls and classes for children and adults. The venue has also been designed to offer a coworking area, yoga, fitness, and physical preparation classes, as well as an osteopathy and massage clinic and a cafe/bar/snack bar. A great place for climbing fans of all levels to get together.
A truly unique monument and collection.
Located in the very heart of Paris, the Bourse de Commerce is …
An iconic French heritage site and a stunning view over Place de la Concorde.
Once the Garde-meuble de la …
