2, place du Palais-Royal, Paris

The building of the Fondation Cartier first appeared on Paris maps as a result of the  extension of Rue de Rivoli, during the first phase of the major public works conducted by Baron Haussmann. Built in 1854-1855 during the expansion of Rue de Rivoli, at the time of Paris’s first Universal Exposition, the building respects the disposition of the architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine with its uniform stone façade resting on a row of arcades. Five storeys high, the building was home to the Grand Hôtel du Louvre and the Grands Magasins du Louvre, which remained there for almost a century, shaping the cultural and social life of central Paris. With his transformation, Jean Nouvel is showcasing the existing architectural urban elements that are synonymous with the historical modernity of the 19th century.