A Look Into the New Fondation Cartier, Housed in a Former Paris Department Store

"To achieve that, Nouvel designed a vast 70,000-square-foot atrium with five mobile platforms that can rise as high as 36 feet, modifying the surface area. "They are stages in a sense," he said. These movable features will give curators and artists the freedom to install works of all shapes and sizes, as well as create different pathways through exhibitions. "That's what we wanted to play with," the architect said. "Not walls and walls and walls.""

"Nouvel framed the airy galleria with nearly 13,000 square feet of walkways (or "passages," as he calls them) on three floors, offering visitors bird's-eye views of the art on display. At the time of our tour, every surface was in tones of gray-neutrals that could be overpainted in whatever hues the artists want for their shows. The only exception was the auditorium, permanently cocooned in a crimson hue that invokes Cartier red. "There is a presence that is constant," says Nouvel, "and one that is created for the art.""

"Nouvel situated the foundation's entrance on the building's shorter west side, along the regal Place du Palais-Royal, so that when visitors arrive, they are struck by the enormity of the space. To bring in more light, he concentrated on the department store's street-facing vitrines on rue de Rivoli. The bay windows create a fishbowl-like effect: Those inside can watch pedestrians and traffic zip by, the majestic Musée du Louvre looming in the background, while passersby can peer in and get a glimpse of what's on display."

The project centers on a 70,000-square-foot atrium featuring five mobile platforms that can rise up to 36 feet, allowing adjustable floor area and adaptable staging. Nearly 13,000 square feet of walkways on three floors provide bird's-eye views and varied circulation. Interior surfaces are rendered in neutral grays to be repainted by artists, while the auditorium remains permanently clothed in a crimson Cartier red. The main entrance sits on the building's shorter west side at Place du Palais-Royal, and large street-facing vitrines on rue de Rivoli create a fishbowl effect with views toward the Louvre. An inaugural show includes 600 works by over 100 artists through August 23, 2026.

Read at Architectural Digest