FR | EN

Cart

Fondation Louis Vuitton

One Day in Paris: Le Colibry Tours the Fondation Louis Vuitton

Its tagline is “creation is a journey,” and you’ll understand why when you visit the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Its awe-inspiring curved glass walls and sleek lines were designed to resemble a “magnificent ship” by iconic American architect Frank Gehry. The Fondation offers a full tour of the building so visitors can fully appreciate its unique architecture.

le Grotto fondation LVBelow ground, the Grotto houses an installation piece by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson built around a rectangular pond.  You’ll marvel at the seemingly infinite play of reflections as you walk through its rows of golden-yellow columns.

Ground level, the Studio is where you’ll get all the facts on the building and its materials: it’s 154 meters long, 46 meters high, and features twelve enormous “sails” built out of glass with a surface area of 13,500 square meters each!
A well-made film allows you to see parts of the building you can’t access, such as the roofs and exteriors.

 

fondation LVOn the upper levels, the Fondation’s many terraces all offer amazing lookouts and gorgeous views of Paris.
Until April 2017, the Fondation is proud to present “Light Observatory: Work In Situ,” a temporary installation by Daniel Buren. Color filters have been placed over the building’s twelve sails made from 3600 sheets of glass, allowing the play of light to create beautiful colored shapes and reflections both in and outside the building that change with the time of day and the season.
The effect is simply magical when the sun is out.

 

Bonus points:

  • The Restaurant Le Frank, overlooking the botanical gardens, is a great place to stop for a bite to eat. Le Colibry recommends the chocolate pie: it’s delicious! You can also admire Gehry’s famous suspended fish lamps while you eat.
  • A free 30-minute mini-visit allows visitors to walk through the building and learn all about how it was constructed.
  • The Fondation Louis Vuitton holds children’s workshops on the same themes as their artistic program.
  • A fun app for 8-12 year olds offers a hands-on discovery tour of the building.
  • The bookstore has a great selection of books and other items on contemporary art and architecture. Lots of good gifts ideas here.
  • Last but not least: a shuttle departs every 15 minutes from Charles de Gaulle Square and drops you off right in front of the Fondation. Very handy, since otherwise it’s a 15 minute walk from the Les Sablons metro stop.

You could also finish off your visit with a calm walk through the Botanical Gardens..and even a carousel ride or two if you’re with the kids.

[/vc_column_text][vc_message]www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Le Colibry’s tip:
Aside from the Fondation Vuitton’s long list of artistic events, Le Colibry recommends visiting between exhibitions.  Make sure to go on on a sunny day so you can take full advantage of the building’s beauty!

A trip to the Fondation Louis Vuitton will ignite your creative spirit and give you a new sense of what’s possible. An afternoon well spent!

Instagram@lecolibry