"La Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris)" by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Fondation Louis Vuitton located in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne park makes a noticeable splash. Designed by Frank Gehry, the contemporary art museum’s unusual forms exhibit his characteristic deconstructed look.
"La Fondation Louis Vuitton (Paris)" by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The park is nearly twice the size of New York’s Central Park and is composed of several smaller parks. The Fondation is in the Jardin d’Acclimatation which was first opened in 1860 by Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie.
Gehry took inspiration from 19th-century architecture of the park itself. Gehry’s design was so innovative, new technologies had to be created to build it. A special furnace was made to produce the glass. New software was developed which allowed over 400 people to work with the same 3D model. The Fondation is composed of 3,600 glass panels and 19,000 concrete panels. It has won engineering awards in both America and France.
Having the least possible impact on the environment was a key concern for this project. They measured the location’s current condition before the building was made so they can strive to maintain the same state while it’s in use. The building meets such a high environmental standard that it has been selected to help formulate new guidelines for cultural buildings.
To see more of Gehry’s work click here, or discover another crazy building here.
