At long last, François-Henri Pinault‘s latest pet project will be revealed to the world. Following two similar venues in Venice, the Kering honcho’s prestigious new art gallery will swing open its doors in his hometown Paris, and given the man’s sizeable art collection, everyone is holding their breath. But one thing is sure, the setting is a magnificent one, or should we say a magnificently tweaked one, as the Bourse de Commerce has been given a striking makeover by acclaimed Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The listed historic building, erected in the late 18th-century as a grain market and later home to the city’s stock exchange, features an impressive glass-and-steel dome which is placed on a rotunda decorated with painted panels depicting characters that symbolise North, East, South and West, and frescoes that represent the history of trade between the five continents, all created by a string of reputable 19th-century French painters. Now officially called Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, a three-tier concrete ring has been inserted which serves as the venue’s main exhibition space, but also encases a 300-seat auditorium and foyer below ground.
Right on top of the ring, walkways and stairs run along the circular walls, providing access to both the two levels of exhibition areas encircling the rotunda and to the auditorium on the subterranean level. Furnishings inside and outside the building have been designed by French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Pinault’s private art collection is quite impressive, featuring approx. 10,000 works by 380 modern and contemporary artists, including iconic names such as Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois and Willem de Kooning. Adding a chic lifestyle element to the new high-profile cultural venue is an all-day restaurant and café on the third floor, headed by father-and-son team Michel and Sébastien Bras. Called Halle aux grains, indeed a firm nod to the building’s origins, the menu features dishes infused with grains and seeds from across the planet, cereals and plants. Coinciding with the French president’s decree to reopen museums across France, the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection will finally be accessible to the public on Sat – May 22. Mind you, the venue’s inaugural show and programme will not be revealed until Mon – May 17.
Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
2 rue de Viarmes
75001 Paris
Telephone: +33 1 55046060
Free access only during the opening weekend
Opening hours from May 26:
Mon 11-7
Wed 11-7
Thu 11-9
Fri-Sun 11-7
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
