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| Photo by Freeimages.com/alicia guillen |
In big news from Paris, billionaire business magnate François Pinault has finally found a home for his contemporary art collection. Pinault and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that the Pinault Collection will soon occupy the Bourse de Commerce: the 18th century landmark facing Les Halles. This city-center location couldn’t be more buzzworthy, as Les Halles is in the process of a 1 billion euro metamorphosis. (The “Canopy”—a dramatic, wave-like structure which covers the mall/transit station-- was recently unveiled.) The Bourse will be renovated by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.
Pinault is the founder of Kering and commands a luxury goods empire. An avid art collection, he previously opened the Palazzo Grassi in Venice when he was frustrated by the delays at a planned Paris site. This is not the first fashion-linked art museum in Paris, after LVMH opened the Fondation Louis Vuitton, designed by starchitect Frank Gehry, in 2014. The Pinault Collection is expected to open in 2018 in Paris.