Pioneering architecture studio MAD has designed a stunning canopy for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. The structure is a reinterpretation of traditional Chinese oil paper umbrellas, featuring a monumental floating form that doubles as a sheltered outdoor space next to the China Pavilion. (MAD also designed the China Pavilion.) Aptly called Chinese Paper Umbrella, the design offers relief from the external elements and a site of tranquility within a subtly shifting interior space.

The towering canopy was created using paper. It specifically uses Xuan paper, which is handmade from the tough bark of a Tara Wing-Celtis or Blue Sandalwood tree and rice straw. MAD also coated the umbrella with layers of tung oil to create a “breathable” surface that can withstand a variety of weather. “Venice’s maritime climate brings moderate shifts between day and night temperatures,” the studio explains, “and its weather is often unpredictable, alternating between strong sun, sudden rain, and occasionally strong winds.”

From a structural standpoint, Chinese Paper Umbrella is anchored by a sloping steel frame that makes the paper look as though it’s draped from it. There are gaps within the canopy to help ventilate the space, and a large opening acts as the entrance. Inside, wooden stools for sitting are placed underneath a built-in misting system for hot days. The central lighting changes as the day progresses, creating a warm glow as day becomes night. “As light moves across the oiled paper, the umbrella becomes a pavilion of shadow and glow, reflecting the rhythms of day and night,” MAD shares.

Chinese Paper Umbrella is an exercise in impermanence. The paper will naturally change over time, eroding to become more yellow as it endures sunlight and weather. This is by design. “Its gradual disappearance underscores the structure’s impermanence,” MAD says, “and offers a poetic reflection on how architecture and the natural world might coexist in thoughtful response to our changing climate.”

MAD’s designs are now on view at the Venice Architecture Biennale until November 23, 2025.

Pioneering architecture studio MAD has designed a stunning canopy for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.

The structure is a reinterpretation of traditional Chinese oil paper umbrellas, featuring a monumental floating form that doubles as a sheltered outdoor space next to the China Pavilion.

Aptly called Chinese Paper Umbrella, the design offers relief from the external elements and a site of tranquility within a subtly shifting interior space.

The central lighting changes as the day progresses, creating a warm glow as day becomes night.

Chinese Paper Umbrella is an exercise in impermanence.

The paper will naturally change over time, eroding to become more yellow as it endures sunlight and weather.

The canopy is now on view at the Venice Architecture Biennale until November 23, 2025.

MAD: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by MAD.

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READ: MAD Unveils Giant Graceful ‘Chinese Paper Umbrella’ at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

MVRDV knows a thing or two about the unexpected. The Rotterdam-based architecture firm has spearheaded ambitious projects like a Dutch church turned public swimming pool, a Berlin office whose facade is entirely doused in yellow, and a sky-blue family home perched atop a historic building. Despite defying architectural conventions, MVRDV’s idiosyncratic vision hasn’t been interpreted literally—until now. In the bustling city of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, the firm plans to unveil a new residential tower that, in more ways than one, goes outside the box.

Aptly titled Out of the Box and designed for Win Sing Development Company, the 25-story apartment complex is most remarkable for its innovative catalog of cantilevered boxes. These boxes jut out from the building’s gridded, marble-clad facade, forming loggias, balconies, terraces, and additional interior areas. The cantilever effect, according to MVRDV, was a necessary solution to Taiwan’s building regulations, which include several rules that define and govern various types of outdoor space. Accommodating such stringent demands required thinking “out of the box,” a concept that MVRDV sought to literalize through the apartment’s overhanging features.

By implementing and staggering these boxes, the complex insists on its irregularity, even though its floor plans are based on a small number of repeating apartment types. Notably, the variations in box placements and sizes were determined via digital scripting, processing factors such as sun exposure, space efficiency, and access to services.

“In this way, the design was able to respect the limits of the local building code while going ‘outside the box’ to give every one of the building’s 93 apartments a unique floorplan,” MVRDV explains in a statement. “The benefits of standardization, such as efficiency of space and services, are thus combined with the benefits of giving each apartment its own individual character.”

Beyond its distinct silhouette, Out of the Box further distinguishes itself due to its height, towering above the low- to mid-rise structures surrounding it in Tianmu, one of Taipei’s northernmost neighborhoods. Even so, the building won’t be completely incongruous, as its design features an upgrade to the shops with which it shares the street. The base of the tower also incorporates meticulous landscaping and multifunctional spaces.

“Considering this building’s location and its low-rise neighbors, we knew that this would be a building for viewing—something to see, and something to see from,” Winy Maas, founding partner at MVRDV, says. “How could we express that in our design? The boxes popping out from the building signify this quality. They literally reach out into their surroundings.”

Out of the Box is currently under development and will serve as MVRDV’s first housing project in Taiwan. To learn more, visit MVRDV’s website.

Designed by MVRDV, the 25-story Out of the Box apartment complex features boxes that jut out from the building’s gridded, marble-clad facade.

These cantilevered boxes represent thinking “outside the box,” given that they were MVRDV’s clever solution to Taiwan’s complicated building regulations.

MVRDV: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by MVRDV.

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The Stacks beside the stream. (Photo: Arch Exist)

Nestled in the lush mountain valleys of the Nanchuan District, near Chongqing in southwestern China, is a stack of rocks. Evergreen trees tower above the stones, while a stream gently snakes beside them from below. It’s a peaceful scene—and a carefully curated one, too. Soon, windows begin to emerge from beneath the stack, through which the verdant landscape can be discerned. Upon closer inspection, it suddenly becomes clear: this is a home, peering out, ever so slightly, from the foliage around it.

Created by the Beijing-based architecture firm DoDesign, the Drifting Stones project encompasses two structures inspired by the mountain valley in which they’re situated. The Stacks, as its name suggests, consists of ten stacked slabs of rock, climbing up a mountain wall toward the edge of a boulder. Each rock is meticulously yet unevenly positioned, forming a natural, cantilevered staircase with a gap underneath for an indoor area. Unsurprisingly, DoDesign veered toward a minimalist interior design style and a glass-clad facade, maximizing the grandeur of the site’s natural surroundings. Even when perched inside the Stacks, it feels as though the forest, mountains, and stream are incredibly close by, achieving a rare harmony between organic and industrial design elements.

The Hut, on the other hand, is disguised to a greater degree. Connected to the Stacks by a cobblestone and cement pathway, the Hut is fully encased in mirrors, seamlessly vanishing into the valley. The roof is composed of a six-meter-long (about 20-foot-long) boulder that, because of the Hut’s reflective surfaces, appears to be floating in mid-air, an architectural feat that is as impressive as it is surreal. Within the Hut, there’s also a restroom, wash basin, and, as a reference to the concept that “dripping water wears away stone,” a skylight that filters a soft, magical glow throughout the interior.

When considering both of its components, DoDesign’s Drifting Stones project is a compelling exercise in immersive architecture. But it’s also an example of intense problem-solving, where the DoDesign team had to contend with the constraints posed by the site itself. Given the valley’s rugged terrain, DoDesign adopted an artificial stone approach, incorporating a steel framework, heavy cement, and stone powder to simulate an authentic texture. The team also invited local artists to guide the chiseling of the cement surface, all to echo the patterns of the surrounding cliffs. The result is an intriguing balance between an artist’s intentionality and nature’s spontaneity, showcasing how architecture can embody both impulses at once.

“Drifting Stones is an experiment in responding to nature through construction,” DoDesign explains. “Though modest in scale, it aspires to redefine its environment in a way that is both striking and harmonious.”

To learn more about the team behind Drifting Stones, visit the DoDesign website.

Beijing-based architecture firm DoDesign has created Drifting Stones, a project encompassing two structures inspired by the lush mountain valley in which they’re situated.

Bird's eye view of Drifting Stones at dawn. (Photo: Arch Exist)

The Stacks in the evening. (Photo: Arch Exist)

(Photo: Arch Exist)

The Stacks and the Hut. (Photo: Arch Exist)

DoDesign’s Drifting Stones project includes the Stacks, which functions as a glass pavilion crowned by a stone staircase, and the Hut, which serves as a mirror-clad restroom.

Side view of the Stacks. (Photo: Arch Exist)

(Photo: Arch Exist)

The Stacks, embedded in its surroundings. (Photo: Arch Exist)

While creating Drifting Stones, DoDesign emphasized harmony between built and natural environments, relying upon mirrored and glass surfaces and clever positioning.

The Hut, part of Drifting Stones. (Photo: Arch Exist)

(Photo: Arch Exist)

Interior view of the Stacks. (Photo: Arch Exist)

DoDesign: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by DoDesign.

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Modernist architects may often have touted that form follows function, but Frank Lloyd Wright cautioned that this was a phrase prone to being misunderstood. “Form and function should be one,” he once clarified, “joined in a spiritual union.” That “spiritual union” couldn’t be more evident than in a new collaboration between the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (FLWF) and Airstream, an Ohio-based manufacturer of recreational vehicles. Combining exquisite design, decadent finishes, and state-of-the-art technology, the Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Travel Trailer cleverly shrinks the architect’s vision into its most essential elements.

To create the towable, limited-edition trailer, Airstream’s engineering and design teams worked closely with FLWF’s experts at Wright’s Taliesin West home and studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, focusing primarily on archival materials made available by the foundation. Usonian principles, made popular by Wright later in his career, also figured heavily into the final product, seeing a complete maximization of small spaces through furniture that can easily be tucked away. Perhaps most impressive of all is the trailer’s convertible twin beds that, when folded, double as bench seating but, with a push of a button, can instantly convert into a king-sized bed—the largest option in Airstream’s current offerings. The front living space boasts a similar solution, where a pull-out sofa doubles as a secondary sleeping area, while a dining table and separate desk space both collapse into a wall cabinet. Each of these elements has, of course, been rendered with sensitivity, recalling Wright’s sleek, wooden forms and naturalistic curvature.

The trailer’s floor plan is equally dazzling, achieving efficiency through its openness. This flow extends beyond the confines of the trailer itself, most obviously through Airstream’s signature rear hatch feature and special porthole windows, allowing natural light to seamlessly filter through the space. The result is, as Wright would’ve preferred, both functionally and formally exceptional.

“We believe Wright’s design philosophy was always about helping people live with more purpose, beauty, and joy,” Henry Hendrix, VP and chief marketing officer at FLWF, says. “Together, we’ve created something deeply connected to nature, adventure, and the meaning of home.”

True—but what truly distinguishes the Frank Lloyd Wright Trailer is its incorporation of historic elements pulled directly from the architect’s storied career. The kitchen, for instance, is inspired by a never-produced concept unearthed from a 1939 archival design, whereas the trailer’s color palette is drawn from a 1955 Wright-curated Martin-Senour paint collection. The main entryway, too, is embellished with a custom graphic pattern that repurposes the Gordon Leaf mural, which Wright’s apprentice and secretary, Eugene Masselink, created in 1956 for House Beautiful editor Elizabeth Gordon.

“The Golden Leaf is a wonderful natural pattern that becomes a gateway to the natural world,” Hendrix explains. “The pattern isn’t solely decorative. It helps create the sense of fluidity and continuity from interior to exterior that you see across all of Wright’s work.”

The Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Travel Trailer will comprise a 200-unit production run and will be available for purchase at Airstream dealers nationwide, with pricing at $184,900. To learn more, visit Airstream’s website.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Airstream have teamed up to create a travel trailer inspired by the architect’s vision and aesthetic.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Travel Trailer features several details inspired by archival materials pulled from the FLWF, including a naturalistic mural and a mobile kitchen design.

The travel trailer combines Wright’s organic architecture with Airstream’s aerodynamic forms.

Airstream: Website | Instagram

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Airstream.

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The Louvre Museum in the evening. (Photo: Pedro Szekely via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.0)

The Louvre, which happens to be the world’s largest and most visited museum, is on the verge of undergoing an ambitious, $316 million renovation. The project seeks to address overcrowding by incorporating an additional entrance near the Seine River and a special exhibition area housing Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. On June 27, the Louvre officially launched an international architecture competition, whose winner will design the museum’s new entrance and exhibition hall.

As one of the most renowned paintings in all of art history, it should come as no surprise that the Mona Lisa demands her own dedicated space. Right now, viewing the 16th-century masterpiece is often underwhelming if not completely dissatisfying—visitors have to push through hoards of other guests only to catch the most precursory glimpse of the Mona Lisa. The new space, which the brief specifies must be about 33,000 square feet, intends to offer more breathing room, as well as a history lesson, detailing the painting’s origin, its infamous theft in 1911, and its enduring impact upon contemporary art production. Visitors will need to purchase separate, timed tickets to enter the subterranean space, which will be situated beneath the Cour Carrée, the Louvre’s easternmost courtyard.

“Our aim is to offer a high-quality encounter with this masterpiece,” Laurence des Cars, the Louvre’s president, said in an interview with Le Monde, adding that the space must facilitate “genuine time for contemplation.”

“[The painting] is viewed in a matter of seconds from a distance of several meters,” François Chatillon, the Louvre’s chief architect, echoed. “For this new space, the curators want the painting to be closer to visitors, more on their scale.”

As for the new entrance, Louvre officials hope that it will help alleviate pressure caused by overcrowding. Though I.M. Pei’s iconic pyramid could welcome countless new visitors when it was first constructed in the 1980s, it isn’t sufficient enough at this point to “accommodate the 9 million visitors who flock to our museum every year,” des Cars explained. In fact, Louvre staff staged an unannounced strike on June 16, protesting the tremendous difficulties in managing the constant flood of guests, especially alongside the museum’s increasingly outdated infrastructure.

The design competition seeks to address these challenges, while rejuvenating and modernizing the museum for larger audiences. The competition’s five finalists will be announced by a 21-person jury in October, with the overall winner selected early next year.

To learn more, visit the Louvre’s website.

The Louvre has announced an architecture competition for their $316 million renovation, in which the museum will add an additional entrance and a special exhibition hall for the Mona Lisa.

Courtyard of the Louvre Museum, featuring its iconic pyramid. (Photo: Alvesgaspar via Wikimedia Commons, CC 3.0)

The Louvre: Website | Instagram

Sources: Louvre Opens Design Competition for $316 Million Expansion; France Opens Competition to Expand Overcrowded Louvre; Mona Lisa to Get Her Own Room as the Overcrowded Louvre Expands

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Last year, more than 21 million tourists passed through Rome—and many of them undoubtedly paid a visit to the Trevi Fountain. At 86 feet high and 161 feet wide, it stands as the city’s largest Baroque fountain, and one of the finest examples of Italian architecture. Back in May, the Trevi Fountain also transformed into a canvas for a decadent light show, in celebration of the Internationali BNL d’Italia tennis tournament.

Free and open to the public, the light show was displayed every 10 minutes from 9 p.m. to midnight, illuminating the fountain with splashes of color. These animations were accomplished through projection mapping, each directly interacting with the fountain’s various features. At the beginning of the show, for instance, a dramatic ripple travels across the entirety of the fountain, as if mimicking the water below. Later, bursts of yellow would pop across its intricate columns, while rich blues would wash over the sculptures. At one point, vibrant patterns gently rotate around the fountain’s center, reminiscent of ancient Roman mosaics.

As with any public art installation, opinions about the light show were divided. Some were mesmerized, seeing the show as a combination of tradition, history, and contemporary technology. Others expressed distaste, claiming that the landmark’s artistic integrity was compromised.

“It’s a beautiful, historic fountain and the light show looks like something you would see in Las Vegas,” one user commented on an Instagram post. “It cheapens it.”

“It doesn’t need any enhancement, especially from digitization,” another user added. “It’s stunning and awe-inspiring all alone.”

On that same post, however, others disagreed: “This was awesome to see,” one person commented, while yet another said, “I want to go back.”

When overlooking these differences, the light show does still pose intriguing questions about how the past and present should interact, particularly with regards to such culturally significant monuments.

Back in May, the Trevi Fountain featured a decadent light show, in celebration of the Internationali BNL d’Italia tennis tournament.

 

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Photo: Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Nestled in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in the Sonoran Desert sits an architectural gem designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Known as Taliesin West, the pioneering architect saw it as his desert laboratory. There, he and his apprentices lived and worked while continuing to design innovative structures that followed Wright’s principle of organic architecture.

It’s not easy to define organic architecture. Wright said that while it’s a style, it’s also a way of thinking and feeling. Essentially, the building should enhance the site and the structure look natural within its setting. Taliesin West, located near Scottsdale, Arizona, exemplifies this idea. Its exterior is clad in “desert masonry,” made up of local rock set and bound by a mixture of cement and desert sand. As a result, it takes on a rocky exterior that mimics the surrounding mountainous landscape. But it doesn’t completely blend in; redwood beams accent the masonry for a stunning effect.

Taliesin West was first constructed in 1937, and Wright continued to expand and alter the building to eventually include a drafting studio, three theaters, a workshop, dining facilities, residences for apprentices and staff, and Wright’s office and living quarters. He would spend his winters at Taliesin West until his death in 1959.

Taliesin West is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and a National Historic Landmark. Visiting is open to the public, allowing us all to appreciate how Wright’s vision blends architectural design with the beauty of the natural landscape. The site offers a variety of tours, including self-guided, a behind-the-scenes look, and a special “Shelters in the Desert” guided outing.

Eugene Kim, co-founder and editor-in-chief of My Modern Met, had the opportunity to visit Taliesin West. “I’ve long admired Frank Lloyd Wright as an architect, especially with his exquisite contributions of Fallingwater and the Guggenheim New York,” he shares.

“It was an honor to visit one of his homes and studios in Taliesin West and interview Niki Stewart, vice president, chief learning & engagement officer of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation,” Kim continues. “Niki is a natural educator and provided excellent insights into the mind of Frank Lloyd Wright, and I especially appreciated the concept of organic architecture and building around your specific environment. A big thanks to Niki and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for their warm hospitality of My Modern Met.”

Visit the Taliesin West website to learn more and plan your trip.

Nestled in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains sits an architectural gem designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Daytime exterior of Taliesin West. (Photo: Foskett Creative Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation)

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Known as Taliesin West, the pioneering architect saw it as his desert laboratory.

Photo: Andrew Pielage

Located near Scottsdale, Arizona, Taliesin West was first constructed in 1937 and expanded to include a drafting studio, three theaters, a workshop, and more.

Taliesin West Interior. (Photo: Andrew Pielage © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation)

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Visiting Taliesin West is open to the public, allowing us all to appreciate how Wright’s vision blends architectural design with the beauty of the natural landscape.

Sunset at Taliesin West. (Photo: Foskett Creative Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation)

To learn more about Taliesin West, check out My Modern Met's interview with Niki Stewart, Vice President, Chief Learning & Engagement Officer of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

 

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Taliesin West: Website

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Visit Phoenix.

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Each summer, during the solstice, something magical happens at the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in Los Angeles. A skylight known as the “oculus,” situated precisely at the center of the GRI, catches the sunlight at midday, filtering it down toward an opaque glass circle below. It’s a moment of intense peace and reflection, during which staff members often gather to witness the sun’s rays gently spreading across the tiled floor. Years ago, however, this scene looked very different.

Before there was a glass plate decorating GRI’s floor, there was instead a site-specific artwork by British artist Andy Goldsworthy, originally commissioned in the early 1990s during the Getty Center’s development and construction phase. Much like the library in which it would be housed, Goldsworthy hoped that the piece could serve as a source of knowledge, a “well from which to draw energy from the earth,” as he wrote to his gallerist, Cheryl Haines, in January 1989. To capture that sentiment, Goldsworthy fashioned a hand-formed spiral ring, reminiscent of a tapered hole tunneling endlessly into the earth. This metaphor was only strengthened by the material composition of the ring—Goldsworthy had, after all, sculpted it with clay and dirt excavated from the Getty’s construction site.

Being molded from the earth itself, Goldsworthy’s sculpture was naturally responsive to its surrounding environment, gradually evolving and shifting throughout time. The earthwork cracked during the nine months it took to dry, transforming into what resembled a dramatic mountain ridge or desert vista, with some crevices growing more than five inches wide.

“[The cracks will] bond with the earth that lies below from where it comes,” Goldsworthy remarked in another letter to Haines. And, even with the significant cracking and chipping, the artist nevertheless remained pleased, adding that this process “emphasized that although the [GRI] building is new, the well of knowledge on which we draw is old.”

In June 1999, one force of nature proved too intense for even the artwork to withstand. An unexpected failure in the GRI’s sprinkler system resulted in an incredible flood. In only 11 minutes, 33,000 gallons of water had already flowed through the building. Even though the library staff managed to protect the books and Goldsworthy’s earthwork, moisture had still seeped into the floor below and into the base of the installation, resulting in mud. It was only a matter of time before atrophy and decay would begin. In response, the Getty reached the painful decision to decommission the sculpture, which was undertaken during that year’s winter solstice. Soon, a glass plate would come to adorn the spot in which the piece once stood.

Despite its ultimate destruction, the sculpture still “fulfilled a vision that Goldsworthy had set out for [it],” according to the Getty Foundation.

“The most tangible, permanent thing that I will leave there is the story of something that was made in that place and that people saw it being made, knew that the materials came from the site…even when the object’s gone,” the artist said in a 1997 interview.

Another summer solstice may have come and gone at the GRI without the sculpture, and yet it remains all the same, deeply entrenched in the library’s memory.

Every summer during the solstice, something special happens at the Getty Research Institute. Years ago, though, a now-ruined artwork by Andy Goldsworthy defined that moment.

The Getty Center as seen from the Central Garden in February 2009. (Photo: Robert F. Tobler via Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Getty Research Institute: Website | Instagram

Source: The Little-Known History of a Lost Earthwork

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Nestled into the mountains of Ti'an, China, Hometown Moon is a fascinating example of architecture used for revitalization. Perched above Jiunv Crest, or Nine Women’s Peak, SYN Architects designed the structure as a scenic attraction to pull visitors into new areas of the city. Its arched structure is situated above a reflecting pool, creating a moon-like effect that went viral online.

Lead architect Zou Yingxi focused on designing a moon that would never set, inspired by a Song dynasty poem that states, “the clouds and the moon remain the same, but mountains and rivers evolve throughout time.” Set next to a mountain river, the building is accessed through a winding path that leads visitors into nature.

They can then walk along a group of bridges on top of the structure to admire its shape from afar. If there are no ceremonies, visitors are also invited inside, where they can contemplate the lower half of the moon. The project combines the central ideas of Buddhism, like harmony, perpetuity, comprehensiveness, and endlessness; the concept of emptiness from Taoism; and the cultural heritage of Confucianism to provide physical shelter from the wind and the rain in the shape of a Hometown Moon.

To complement the structure, the architects have also begun exploring ways to connect the surrounding mountain villages and establish an infrastructure to support their continued development.

In 2021, SYN Architects completed Hometown Moon, a striking ceremony hall in Ti'an, China.

The unique piece of architecture is nestled into Jiunv Crest, next to a mountain stream.

From the exterior, the half moon is reflected in a pool of water.

Inside, guests can view half of the moon sunken down into a cavity filled with greenery.

SYN Architects: Website 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by SYN Architects.

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On March 12, 2021, the Grand Palais, one of Paris’ most beloved architectural marvels, shut down. The time had come for the century-old glass-and-steel palace to enter its most ambitious renovation yet. Last summer, the first phase was completed just in time for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where the building’s main nave was unveiled. After nearly five years, the final phase of the €486 million (about $562 million) renovation has been completed and is now, at long last, open to the public.

Led by François Chatillon and his eponymous firm Chatillon Architectes, the renovation meticulously combines fresh, contemporary elements with the Grand Palais’ historic character. The building, which was originally constructed for the Universal Exposition of 1900, is renowned for its riveted steel beams, massive windows, and signature glass nave, and Chatillon was careful to respect that architectural integrity. In fact, the renovation involved no additional building, and yet managed to increase the spaces accessible to the public by 140%—all thanks to the removal of a partition wall that has separated the front and back of the building. Here, there’s a cafeteria on the mezzanine, a boutique, and staggered seating, with fixtures and furniture designed by L’Atelier Senzu.

“Space is the truest luxury,” Chatillon says of the renovation. “Luxury at its most pure is nature, like being alone in the mountains. In cities, we can create vast spaces that feel natural.”

Even with the newfound grandeur and airiness of the central axis, the space still needed to be modular in order to accommodate an array of different events, ranging from art exhibitions to haute couture runways. To achieve this sense of flexibility, Chanel designed and produced a mobile curtain through the direction of Studio MTX, a part of the fashion house’s artisanal network, Le19M. Towering at a height of 26 feet, and stretching 49 feet across, the partition consists of nine sections, with 70 ornamental strips sewn on its sides sewn. All told, the curtain required 720 hours of work to complete, some of which were dedicated to perfecting its green color to match that of the Grand Palais’ iron details.

“We did hundreds of color tests with and without light to ensure that [the curtain] blended in as much as possible with all the shades of green found in the buildings,” Mathieu Bassée, the artistic director of Studio MTX, told Women’s Wear Daily. “We also worked on the transparency of the fabric in order not to block out the light coming from the nave.”

Beyond this clever—and undoubtedly elegant—solution, the renovation also entailed restoring the building’s statues, facades, and interior decor; modernizing technical features; and improving accessibility.

“Restoration is always innovation,” Chatillon told Wallpaper*. “My work is like Michelangelo with a piece of marble block. The solutions—the final work—are already inside. Restoration work has to set them free. You have to be imaginative.”

Grand Palais is now open to the public. To plan your own visit and learn more about upcoming events, visit the Grand Palais website.

After an ambitious five-year, $560 million renovation, the Grand Palais in Paris has finally reopened to the public.

 

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The Grand Palais was originally constructed for the Universal Exposition of 1900, and is renowned for its riveted steel beams, massive windows, and signature glass nave.

Panoramic view of the Grand Palais, from 2009. (Photo: Robert Will via Wikimedia Commons, CC 2.5)

The Grand Palais in 2006. (Photo: David Monniaux via Wikimedia Commons, CC 3.0)

The Grand Palais: Website | Instagram
Chatillon Architectes: Website | Instagram

Sources: The Grand Palais is a Parisian architectural feast, emerging from a mammoth restoration project; The Second Phase of the Grand Palais’s Reopening Is Complete—Here’s What You Can Expect; Grand Palais reopening; Paris’ Grand Palais Completes Five-year Renovation; New Grand Palais: Renovation Of An Extraordinary Monument To Meet Contemporary Challenges

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READ: The Grand Palais Reopens in Paris Following $560 Million Renovation