Architecture and Design in Paris: our 13 favorites (2024)
Written by Cedric Rutten January 2023, updated January 2024
The city of Paris has a rich and ever-evolving architectural landscape, reflecting its storied history and vibrant culture. From medieval structures to the grand avenues of Haussmann to contemporary designs of today, Paris is a veritable treasure trove of architectural gems.
To help you explore the city's stunning architecture, we've curated a list of the most beautiful buildings in Paris. Whether you're an architecture buff or simply appreciate the beauty of design, our list is sure to inspire and captivate you.
Read the full Paris Travel Guide here
1. Fondation Louis Vuitton
© Vania Wolf / Flickr.com
Fondation Louis Vuitton was designed by the famous Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry and opened to the public in 2014. Gehry designed it to resemble a ship floating on a reflecting pool, with its sails billowing in the wind. The museum's exterior is made of 12 curved, sail-like panels of glass, which create a stunning effect as they reflect the sky and the surrounding trees.
Address: 8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris
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2. Musée du Quai Branly
© Ninara / Flickr.com
The Musée du Quai Branly’s building was designed by renowned architect Jean Nouvel and features a striking exterior covered in vegetation, which blends seamlessly with the surrounding gardens. The interior of the museum is equally impressive, with a spacious and modern design that allows visitors to fully appreciate the art and artifacts on display.
Address: 37 Quai Jacques Chirac, 75007 Paris
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3. Grande Arche de la Defense
© Fuangg / Flickr.com
Designed by Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, the Grande Arche Paris is a massive cube-shaped structure, 110 meters tall and wide, with a hollowed-out center that creates a soaring arch. The monument is made of concrete and steel and is covered in white marble, giving it a sleek and modern appearance.
Address: 1 Parv. de la Défense, 92800 Puteaux
4. Opéra Garnier
© Ninara / Flickr.com
One of the most notable features of the Opéra Garnier is the grand staircase, which was famously depicted in Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera." The staircase is a work of art in itself, with a stunning marble design and an ornate ceiling painted by artist Marc Chagall.
Visitors to the Opéra Garnier can also take a guided tour of the building, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the history and architecture of the opera house. The tour includes access to the auditorium, the stage, the dressing rooms, and the Grand Foyer, a lavish reception room with stunning views of the city.
Address: Pl. de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris
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5. Philharmonie de Paris
© Fred Romero / Flickr.com
Another building by Jean Nouvel, the Philharmonie de Paris opened its doors to the public in January 2015 and is home to several resident ensembles, including the Orchestre de Paris and the Ensemble Intercontemporain.
Address: 221 Av. Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris
6. Les Espaces d’Abraxas
© Fred Romero / Flickr.com
Les Espaces d'Abraxas is a unique and controversial residential complex located in the Parisian suburb of Noisy-le-Grand. The complex was designed by architect Ricardo Bofill and completed in 1983. It is part of a larger development called La Cité de la Muette, which also includes two other housing complexes.
The design is inspired by ancient Mediterranean architecture, with a focus on monumental forms, arches, and curves. The complex has also served as a backdrop for several films and TV shows, including "Brazil" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," which have helped to increase its profile and popularity.
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7. Galeries Lafayette
© Mustang Joe / Flickr.com
The Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann is a world-renowned department store located in the heart of Paris. The building is a stunning example of 20th-century architecture, designed by Georges Chedanne and Ferdinand Chanut in 1912.
The architecture is notable for its innovative use of steel and glass, which was a cutting-edge construction technique at the time of its construction. The building's design was also ahead of its time in terms of its environmental sustainability, with the glass dome providing natural ventilation and the use of daylight to reduce the need for artificial lighting.
Address: 40 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris
8. Picasso's Arenas
© Ville Noisy Le Grand, Via Wikimedia Commons
The Picasso Arena, designed by Spanish architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky in 1981 and inaugurated in 1985, is a building complex located in Noisy-le-Grand close to Paris. The building houses 540 social housing units, boutiques and a secondary school. The building has already become part of the European architectural heritage and is on the list of the international heritage of civil engineering.
9. Hôtel Martel
© Villa des frères Martel, Rory Hide, via Wikimedia Commons
The Martel hotel is the work of French architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. He designed and built the house in 1927 for the sculptor brothers Jan and Joël Martel. The workshop house was classified as a historical monument in 1990. The gates of the house were designed by Jean Prouvé. Charlotte Perriand designed the studio bar inside, and the master bedroom is by the hand of Gabriel Guevrekian.
Address: 10 Rue Mallet-Stevens, 75016 Paris
10. Centre George Pompidou
© Thomas Oboe Lee, via Wikimedia Commons
Centre Georges Pompidou, is a cultural center located in the 4th arrondissement hosting the famous Centre Pompidou modern art museum. It is named after the former French President Georges Pompidou, who commissioned the building. The building was designed by the architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.
The building's façade is made up of brightly colored tubes and pipes, which serve as conduits for the building's various utilities, including water, electricity, and air conditioning. The museum's collection includes works by some of the most celebrated artists of the past century, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Joan Miró.
Address: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
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11. Unesco Headquarters
© Omar Bárcena / Flickr.com
The UNESCO Headquarters is a striking example of modernist architecture, designed by the renowned architect Marcel Breuer in collaboration with Bernard Zehrfuss and Pier Luigi Nervi, the building is a masterful example of the International Style of architecture that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Guided tours are available from Monday to Friday and can be booked on their website.
Address: 7 Pl. de Fontenoy, 75007 Paris
12. The Arcades of the Lake: the Viaduct
© Fred Romero / Flickr.com
Another building on the list designed by Ricardo Bofill, the Arcades of the Lake: the Viaduct, is a residential complex completed in 1982 and located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a suburb of Paris. Les Arcades du Lac is a residential complex located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a suburb of Paris, France. It was designed by the Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and completed in 1982.
The buildings are characterized by their curved forms, with rounded balconies and terraces that wrap around the façade. The use of arches and vaults throughout the complex gives it a sense of continuity and connection, creating a unified whole from the individual buildings.
Address: 21 Rue Jacques Cartier 11, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux
13. National Library of France, François Mitterand
© Michael Stephane Boucher, via Wikimedia Commons
The National Library of France, François Mitterand, opened in 1995 and is part of a larger cultural complex on the banks of the Seine River. The library was designed by architect Dominique Perrault and is named after François Mitterand, the former President of France who initiated the project. It is a massive building, covering over 40 acres and containing more than 13 million books, manuscripts, and other documents.
Address: Quai François Mauriac, 75706 Paris
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