La Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris) by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
Designed to resemble a ship’s sails opened to fill with wind, Fondation Louis Vuitton rises gracefully into the air with magnificent curves. The museum is a reminder that even the most mundane buildings can be turned into works of art, as the Fondation Louis Vuitton stands in the same space previously occupied by a bowling alley. The architectural design is due in part to heated opposition to the project from a local association claiming the building would be too close to a pedestrian path. The project was required to use the same two storey volume and square footage as the previous bowling alley, with anything taller being made from glass. Using creative architecture to get around the strict requirements, Frank Gehry designed glass sails that wrap around the “iceberg” building. In all, the exterior of the building contains 19,000 individual concrete panels and another 3,600 panels of glass to fill the 12 iconic sails. The museum hosts pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gilbert and George, and Jeff Koons. Other works were commissioned for site-specific installations.