La Cinémathèque Française, Rue de Bercy building

La Cinémathèque Française, Rue de Bercy Architecture, Parisian Building, Architect, Images

La Cinémathèque Française : Paris Building by Frank Gehry

Contemporary Parisian Architecture, France – design by Frank Gehry, architect

10 Oct 2012

La Cinémathèque Française in Paris

Design: Frank Gehry architect

New photographs, taken in Oct 2012:

La Cinémathèque Française - Rue de Bercy Building

La Cinémathèque Française

Address: 51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris

La Cinémathèque Française, Paris 12e, France

The building is situated on the edge of Parc de Bercy and was originally meant to be the home of the American Centre. This post-modern building was designed by Frank Gehry and opened its doors in 1993.

La Cinémathèque Française Paris building by Frank Gehry

The building consist of 4 different blocks, 2 restrained blocks forming a protective angle around two fragmented elements, situated on the park side. The two fragmented elements mark the entrance to the building situated on the park side. There is no public entry from the street side.

The street elevation on rue Bercy is divided in two and appears more conventional with regular window openings. The corner block is placed on a glass plinth and due to the overhang the glass corner seems to be almost squashed by the sand stone clad upper stories.

Most likely it was the architects’ intention to soften the corner, so rather than a hard stone ‘point’ the corner has been “pulled back” thus making the arrival of the building from this end of rue Bercy more welcoming.

The two fragmented elements facing Parc Bercy is a juxtaposition of volumes creating unsuspected spaces and openings throughout. These relate more clearly to later Gehry’s buildings.

Frank Gehry

Location: 51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris, France, north west Europe

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Pictures © Adrian Welch, key buildings:

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