Hôtel de la Marine
Built in the 18th century, this iconic building on Place de la Concorde was commissioned by King Louis XV and designed by his chief architect, Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Opened occasionally to the public in its early days, when it served as a depot for French royal collections, it can be considered the first museum in Paris. It later became the official headquarters of the French Navy for more than 200 years. The Centre des monuments nationaux recently oversaw an extensive restoration of the building prior to its reopening in 2021.
The Al Thani Collection is one of the most prestigious private collections in the world, bringing together an exceptional range of works from Antiquity to the contemporary era. The Al Thani Collection entrusted ATTA – Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects with the design of a new museum space combining “universal beauty” and the “museum of the 21st century.”
The project represented a major challenge: to create a museum space intended to remain in place for at least twenty years while integrating harmoniously within a listed historic building.
In the first gallery — A Window on World Civilisations — more than 3,000 ornaments create an immersive universe. The entire floor is designed according to the Versailles pattern, invented in the 17th century when the wooden floors of the Palace of Versailles could not support the weight of stone paving. Thanks to contemporary techniques, ATTA – Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects was able to install natural stone on the building’s existing wooden structure.
The gallery walls are finished with traditional crétaïl stucco, and each space features a monochromatic gradation of light to highlight the exhibited works. All display cases were custom-designed and produced to the highest standards by Goppion; the crystallization of pure titanium blends seamlessly with natural stone crystals.
“We focused on the interiors, on the asymmetrical, delicate, and refined Rocaille style. In the 18th century, gold, crystal, and mirrors were widely used to illuminate and amplify natural light, creating interiors comparable to a jewel box. Reinterpreting today the grandeur of the Rocaille style was a true challenge to the past.”
Tsuyoshi Tane
