Louis Vuitton Foundation
Gehry's glass sails above the trees of the Bois de Boulogne
- Area Bois de Boulogne
- Type Museum
- Time needed 2h
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a private art museum in the Bois de Boulogne, designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2014, wrapped in twelve curved glass sails over a white block of reinforced concrete panels. It shows the LVMH collection and large loan exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, and it stages concerts in its auditorium. The building is as much the draw as the art, and the roof terraces are part of the visit. Two hours.
Open in the planner →Getting there
Métro 1 to Les Sablons is the standard route, about 25 minutes from Châtelet, then a walk of 10 to 15 minutes west through the Jardin d'Acclimatation to the building; follow the signs from the station rather than guessing. A shuttle bus runs from near the Arc de Triomphe at Place Charles de Gaulle-Étoile to the Fondation for a small fee, which is easier if you are coming from the centre and gets you to the door. Métro 1 or RER A to Porte Maillot and bus 244 is the third option. There is no station in the wood itself, so expect a walk at one end or the other.
What you see
Approach from the garden side and you meet the water staircase stepping down beside the building, which is the best angle on the sails. Inside, eleven galleries run over several levels around a central void, the lower ones tall enough for very large works; the permanent holding leans towards post-war and contemporary painting, sculpture and installation, and the big temporary shows take the upper floors. Olafur Eliasson's mirrored, coloured grotto occupies the basement level by the water. The best part is the sequence of roof terraces, reached by external stairs, where you walk between the glass sails with views over the wood to La Défense and the Eiffel Tower.
What to pair it with
The Bois de Boulogne is all round it, with the Jardin d'Acclimatation on the walk in and Bagatelle further west. La Défense and the Grande Arche are a few stops north on Métro 1, and the Arc de Triomphe is at the shuttle's other end.
When to go
Weekday mornings are the quietest, and a bright day makes a large difference because the glass and the terraces are the point. Major exhibitions draw heavy weekend queues even with timed entry. Autumn light suits the walk through the wood. The Fondation closes one day a week and between exhibition installations, so check before you go, and book a timed slot in advance for anything well publicised.
What is hard about it
Timed online booking is normally needed and the headline shows sell out days ahead; turning up without a ticket often means being turned away. The galleries are oddly shaped and the circulation between levels confuses people, so you will backtrack. The art is a smaller part of the experience than the architecture, and the permanent collection on show is modest for the price. Access is a walk through a wood from the nearest Métro, which is unpleasant in rain, and the Museum Pass does not cover it.
Common questions
How long do you need at the Fondation Louis Vuitton?
About two hours, split between the galleries and the roof terraces. Add half an hour each way for the walk through the Bois de Boulogne.
Do you need to book?
For anything other than a quiet weekday, yes. Timed tickets are the norm and popular exhibitions go well in advance.
Is there a shuttle bus?
Yes, a paid shuttle runs between Place Charles de Gaulle-Étoile and the Fondation. It is the easiest approach if you do not want the walk from Les Sablons.
More of the same kind
- LouvreThe largest art museum on earth, in a palace, behind a glass pyramid
- Musée d'OrsayImpressionism in a converted railway station, under the great clock
- Centre PompidouModern art behind the inside-out pipes of Rogers and Piano
- Musée RodinThe Thinker and the Gates of Hell in a mansion with a sculpture garden