Bourse de Commerce, Pinault Collection

The former grain market and commodities exchange was turned into a museum for a private art collection. The Japanese architect led the transformation with a local practice and a heritage architect who restored the historic fabric.

The project is built on the building’s circular form. A smooth concrete cylinder, pierced by four identical openings and topped by the old oculus, stands inside the central rotunda, in dialogue with the carefully restored historic elements around it. It sets aside every outside reference to create a single, abstract, still space.

The heart of the building, once a place for storing grain and later the busy floor of the exchange, open to the streets that converged on it, now becomes inward-looking. It is a place for a quiet encounter with art. The circle, the dome and controlled light set the scene and draw visitors away from everyday distraction.

The work adds one more layer to a building shaped by many rounds of demolition and rebuilding. Historic features such as the old column, the double-spiral stairs and the rotunda remain the base for new creation, and the circle allows endless, ever-changing walks through the galleries.