Paris, Jun 2018 – Fondation Louis Vuitton has been on my bucket list of places to visit since its opening in 2014. Mr. King and I were blown away by the extraordinary architecture, impressive exhibitions and scenic gardens. “From an initial sketch drawn on a blank page in a notebook to the transparent cloud sitting at the edge of the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne,Frank Gehry constantly sought to design, in Paris, a magnificent vessel symbolising the cultural calling of France”. Gehry was certainly achieved his objectives.

“The architect then produced numerous models in wood, plastic and aluminium, playing with the lines and shapes, investing his future building with a certain sense of movement.” Some of Gehry’s sketches and models are on display at FLV.

Big fans of Gehry’s works would also enjoy the restaurant, Le Frank located inside FLV. His signature “fishes” installation hang prominently above the restaurant.

“Driven by its mission to serve the public, the Fondation is committed to making art and culture accessible to all. To promote the arts both nationally and internationally, it hosts temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, presents works held in its collection, commissions artists to create site-specific pieces, and stages events across the cultural spectrum (concerts, performances, conferences, film projections, dance and more).” (FLV)

A fantastic exhibition of artworks by Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami was on display. My favourite was the room wallpapered from floor to ceiling in Murakami’s iconic Kiki and Kaikai flower patterns.

We also took a stroll in the beautiful gardens. To our surprise, some children were riding camels.   FLV is the perfect venue to spend a relaxing afternoon.

From the gardens, FLV looks so surreal, like a spaceship. Fondation Louis Vuitton is one of the most memorable places I have visited in Paris.

Some practical tips: From Champs-Élysées, it took us about 20minutes to get to FLV via taxi on a Sunday afternoon.  I would suggest purchasing tickets online, as it was pretty crowded. There was security checkpoint before entering the building.

All photos were taken by Mrs. King.