The Fondation Louis Vuitton took part in the European Heritage Days
- Date
- From 17.09.2016 to 18.09.2016
- Place
- Auditorium

© Fondation Louis Vuitton / Martin Argyroglo
For the 2016 edition of the European Heritage Days, the Fondation Louis Vuitton opened its doors for a free public event, offering an architectural and artistic immersion inside the glass vessel designed by Frank Gehry.
Visitors were be able to experience the full strength and beauty of the monument, through the in situ work of Daniel Buren, entitled "Observatory of Light", and the "Frank Gehry, Fondation Louis Vuitton - an architectural journey" exhibition, as well as workshops and guided tours.
Daniel Buren, "Observatory of Light", work in situ.
Designed to be an intimate dialogue between Frank Gehry's building - whose architecture arouses inspiration in artists - "Observatory of Light" spreads over all the windows, which are the building's signature features. The thirteen colours of the 3,600 window panes in the edifice reveal and mask ever-changing coloured shapes, depending on the time and season. Through this interplay of colours, projections, reflections, transparencies and contrasts, both inside and out, Daniel Buren presents the building in a whole new light.
"Frank Gehry, Fondation Louis Vuitton, architectural journey", permanent exhibition
The exhibition, created with Frank Gehry's teams in Los Angeles, describes and explains the whole process involved in designing the building that is already recognised as a monument in Paris. Each floor of the Fondation develops a theme that helps visitors understand the building better: construction, materials, design, context (Bois de Boulogne and Jardin d'Acclimatation), Paris.
Workshops and guided tours for the whole family
Small guided tours and workshops were organised over the weekend and for the school pupils on Friday 16 September as part of the "Children of Our Heritage" programme. During the workshops, participants had the chance to produce drawings with shapes inspired by the Fondation using stamps, transfers and stencils. The accompanying magazine "George Explores the Fondation" was also be handed out to children.
History of European Heritage Days
Histoire des Journées européennes du patrimoine
The programme
- Daniel Buren
- "Observatory of Light", work in situ.
- "Frank Gehry, Fondation Louis Vuitton, architectural journey"
- Permanent exhibition
- Workshops and guided tours
- for the whole family