Louis Vuitton Foundation facts for kids
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| Established | 20 October 2014 |
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| Location | 8 Avenue du Mahatma-Gandhi 16th arrondissement of Paris, France |
| Visitors | 1,550,000 (2023) |
| Architect | Frank Gehry |
| Owner | LVMH |
The Louis Vuitton Foundation is a cool art museum and cultural center in France. It's supported by a big company called LVMH. This special place helps LVMH share art and culture with everyone.
The museum first opened its doors on October 20, 2014. A famous architect named Frank Gehry designed the unique building. Work on the building started way back in 2006. You can find the museum next to the Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne park in Paris. In 2017, more than 1.4 million people visited the Louis Vuitton Foundation. By 2023, the number of visitors grew to 1.55 million.
Contents
History of the Foundation
How the Idea Started
In 2001, Bernard Arnault, who is the boss of LVMH, met with architect Frank Gehry. Arnault told Gehry about his plans for a brand-new building. This building would be for the Louis Vuitton Foundation, located near the Bois de Boulogne park.
The building project was first shown to the public in 2006. At that time, they thought it would cost about €100 million. They hoped to open it by late 2009 or early 2010. Suzanne Pagé, who was a director at another art museum, became the artistic director for this new foundation. Her job was to plan the museum's art programs.
Building in a Park
The city of Paris owns the park where the museum was built. They gave permission for the building in 2007. However, some people were worried about the new building. An organization that protects the Bois de Boulogne park went to court. In 2011, a judge agreed that the building was too close to a small public road. People also felt that a new building would disturb the peaceful, green park.
The city of Paris appealed this court decision. Even a famous French architect, Jean Nouvel, supported Gehry's design. He said that the people who were against it wanted to keep Paris stuck in the past. Eventually, a special law was passed by the French government. This law said that the Foundation was important for the country. It called the building "a major work of art for the whole world." This special law allowed the construction to continue.
The museum officially opened to the public in October 2014. Before it opened, it was used for a Louis Vuitton fashion show.
Architecture and Design
The Unique Design
When Bernard Arnault invited Frank Gehry to see the garden, Gehry got an idea. He was inspired by the glass Grand Palais building in Paris. He also thought about other glass structures, like the Palmarium, built in 1893 for the Jardin d'Acclimatation. The museum's design connects it to the Jardin d'Acclimatation on one side. It also links to the Bois de Boulogne park on the other side.
The building has two floors and 11 art galleries. These galleries are different sizes. There's also a large auditorium with 350 seats on the lower floor. On the roof, there are terraces for events and art displays. Gehry had to build the museum within the space of an old bowling alley. Anything built taller than two stories had to be made of glass.
The finished building looks like a sailboat with its sails puffed out by the wind. These glass sails wrap around a part of the building called the "iceberg." This "iceberg" has white, flowery terraces. The galleries on the upper floors get light from hidden skylights. On the side of the building facing Avenue Mahatma Gandhi, there's a big stainless-steel "LV" logo. Frank Gehry designed this logo too.
How it Was Built
Construction on the museum began in March 2008. Building this large project needed new technology. For example, they used special 3D design software called Digital Project. This software was first made for the aviation industry. All the teams working on the project used the same digital model. This allowed them to share information in real time.
In 2012, a big step in construction was putting up the glass sails. These sails are made of 3,584 glass panels. Each panel is unique and curved in a special way. This was done to match the shapes Gehry had designed. The gallery parts of the building are covered in a white concrete material called Ductal. The teams who built the museum have won several awards for their work.
Art Collection
The museum has a collection of art that includes works by famous artists. Some of these artists are Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gilbert & George, and Jeff Koons. The foundation also asked artists to create special artworks just for the museum. These artists include Ellsworth Kelly, Olafur Eliasson, and Sarah Morris.
For example, Ellsworth Kelly made a colorful curtain called Spectrum VIII for the auditorium. Olafur Eliasson created Inside the Horizon, which has 43 yellow columns that light up. These columns are placed along a walkway.
Auditorium for Performances
The museum's Auditorium can be used as a small concert hall. The very first concert there was performed by Lang Lang on October 24, 2014. Many other talented artists have performed there since then. Some of these include Yunchan Lim, Yuja Wang, and Steve Reich.
Management and Funding
The LVMH company paid for the museum. That's why it has the Louis Vuitton name and logo. The building will become the property of the city of Paris after 55 years.
See also
In Spanish: Fondation Louis Vuitton para niños
- List of works by Frank Gehry
