The public gained access for the first time on Saturday, October 25, 2025, to the new Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, now located between the Louvre and the Ministry of Culture in central Paris. The foundation has moved from its previous location on Boulevard Raspail in the 14th arrondissement, where it operated for thirty years, to a completely restructured space in the heart of the capital.
The new home is housed in the historic Louvre Saint-Honoré building in the 1st arrondissement, a structure that has been at the heart of Paris for 170 years. Originally built as a showcase for industrial technology during the 1855 Universal Exhibition, this Haussmannian architectural gem later housed one of the grand department stores that fascinated writer Honoré de Balzac for nearly a century, followed by the Louvre des Antiquaires for about forty years.
Upon entering through one of the very tall glass doors facing the bustling Place du Palais-Royal, visitors are immediately struck by two things: the completely unobstructed view of Rue de Rivoli and Rue Saint-Honoré at the same level as the foundation's floor, and the incredible modernity of the space. This transformation is the result of five years of construction work that converted an aging space into an ultra-contemporary vessel for art and business, with floors 2 through 5 housing offices.
The space dedicated to the luxury brand's private foundation spans three levels of large, virtually partition-free areas from the basement to the first floor, totaling 6,000 square meters—nearly three times larger than the previous site. One of the unique features of these three floors is the ability to move the large platforms that serve as floors, sliding them to a level above or below through a "dynamic architecture" system.
This innovative system was designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who also created the foundation's previous site as well as numerous other notable Paris projects including the Quai Branly Museum, the Arab World Institute, the Philharmonie, and the Duo towers. Thanks to these modules, the venue can change its appearance from exhibition to exhibition by playing with the potential variables of space. "It's going to make people want to come back every time," explains Riccardo Coppola, 27, one of the cultural mediators who guide visitors.
For its inaugural presentation, the Foundation chose to showcase its own collections in "General Exhibition" (running until August 23, 2026), a nod to the site's history from the department store era when general exhibitions regularly featured new products. "The goal of this exhibition is to celebrate and trace the 40 years of the Cartier Foundation," Coppola explains, presenting works by well-known artists such as Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Christian Boltanski, Damien Hirst, and Matthew Barney, who was discovered by the foundation.
Curators Grazia Cuaroni and Béatrice Grenier divided the space into four main zones, each highlighting the variety of art forms from painting and film to sculpture, sound creations, composite installations, and photography. The first zone, accessible from the entrance, focuses on architecture and infrastructure. The second area explores nature and ecology with reflections on living beings. The third examines the "real world" through the lens of science and artists who question the boundaries between disciplines. The fourth zone features experiments with materials and gestures to interrogate the notion of technique, once sanctified by the construction of the Louvre Saint-Honoré building for a Universal Exhibition during the Industrial Revolution.
"It's really much bigger, with more space for works that sometimes needed it," observes Hervé, who came to visit the new site on its opening day. A Parisian for 25 years, he has missed very few of the Cartier Foundation's recent exhibitions before the move. He praises the initiative of having "relocated the foundation to the center of Paris," which will surely "attract people" and, he hopes, "create a bridge between contemporary art and the Louvre" located directly across the street.
The "General Exhibition" at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art is located at 2 Place du Palais-Royal in Paris. Admission prices are 15 euros for visitors over 30, 10 euros for those aged 18-30, job seekers, and art students, with free admission for certain categories.
