Get the Magazine

A view of limestone arches in the Fondation Cartier, one of the best architecture projects of 2025.

Shortly after the Centre Pompidou in Paris closed its doors this fall for a multi-year renovation, another landmark cultural space debuted to fill the critical void left behind in the French capital. Mind you, “debuted” may not be quite the right word; really, the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain has moved on from its celebrated glass building imagined by Jean Nouvel in the 14th arrondissement, where it had been operating since 1994. (Before that, from 1984 on, it overlooked an immense park in Jouy-en-Josas, near Versailles, where two gigantic sculptures, Arman’s Long Term Parking and César’s Hommage à Eiffel still stand, now a bit lonely.) Today, the foundation has taken up residence facing the Louvre, surrounded by historic...

Jean Nouvel Reimagines the Fondation Cartier as a Museum in Motion

Art institutions shouldn’t rest on their laurels — hence Jean Nouvel’s revamp of the Fondation Cartier as a building that doesn’t sit still.

leaderboard-3