PARIS: The city's largest private art centre debuts this autumn – 8,500 m² of culture right next to the Louvre

Paris has long been considered the world’s epicenter of art—from the classics at the Louvre to the modern narratives at the Centre Pompidou to the independent galleries dotted around Le Marais . Now, the Fondation Cartier will join this elite group with a spectacular new headquarters on the Palais-Royal square.

The foundation, known for its bold and multidisciplinary projects, will now also own the largest private art centre in Paris .

Cartier Foundation

Founded in 1984 at the initiative of the Cartier jewelry house , the Foundation has focused from the beginning on supporting contemporary artists and creative dialogue between art and science, fashion, architecture and ecology. For the past three decades, its headquarters on Boulevard Raspail has been a cult place. It has hosted exhibitions by Takashi Murakami , Jean-Michel Othonaiel and Daido Moriyama , and its program of events has consistently crossed the boundaries of conventional institutions.

Fondation Cartier opens largest private art centre in Paris

The new location of the Cartier Foundation is being built at a prestigious address: 2, place du Palais-Royal – right opposite the Louvre and next to the Ministry of Culture .

The building dates back to 1852 and has retained its original, classicist façade. The interior was completely redesigned by the distinguished French architect Jean Nouvel , the designer of the Foundation's current headquarters and icons of modern architecture, including the Philharmonic in Paris .

The new museum will occupy a space of 8,500 square meters , and its central element will be five "mobile platforms" that can change the configuration of the space, allowing for exhibitions in variable arrangements.

The whole will be complemented by additional spaces – a restaurant with a view of the Palais-Royal, a modern bookstore, an auditorium for lectures and concerts, and stylish foundation offices.

New headquarters of the Cartier Foundation in Paris – inaugural exhibition and preview in Venice

The first exhibition – Exposition Générale – will open on 25 October 2025 and will bring together almost 600 works from the foundation’s collection. It will be a cross-sectional presentation of the artistic DNA of the Cartier Foundation – from the 1980s to the present day. Those who can’t wait can admire part of the project as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale – until 14 September, the Fondazione Giorgio Cini will present the conceptual elements of the new headquarters.