Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine incl. Art Déco France / Amérique du Nord, Paris

A review of the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, Paris’s museum of architecture and heritage. Including the temporary exhibition ‘Art Deco France/North America’, a look at transatlantic cultural exchange.

Another Paris First For The Salterton Arts Review

When I lived in Paris some years ago, events conspired to allow me a lot of free time (my university went on strike in proper French fashion). I therefore spent a lot of time exploring the city’s museums and cultural institutions. And yet all of the places I went on this trip (the Opéra Garnier, Château de Chantilly, BNF Richelieu and now the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine) were new to me. This is why I like big cities so much, for all their frustrations. For someone who craves new sights and experiences constantly, nothing beats the convenience of having so many concentrated in a small area.

So anyway, this post is all about my first visit to the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine. It is part of the Palais de Chaillot, the 1937 Art Deco palace overlooking the Eiffel Tower. There are a few museums within this complex, including the Musée de l’Homme (Museum of Mankind) which I’ve been to before. The Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine is Paris’s museum of architecture and heritage. The basis of its permanent collection is also known as the Musée National des Monuments Français (National Museum of French Monuments), established in 1879 by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. We will take a closer look at this museum after we’ve explored the temporary exhibition.

I had seen this exhibition advertised quite extensively around Paris, and thought it looked interesting. I like Art Deco. And where better to learn more about it than an Art Deco palace with bonus views of the Eiffel Tower? A perfect Sunday morning activity before heading back on the Eurostar to London. Let’s dive in, then, and see what it’s all about.

Art Déco France / Amérique du Nord

The premise of this exhibition is transatlantic cultural exchange. It sets up the evolution of Art Deco as a sort of ping pong betweeen France and the USA. The high level flow diagram would look a little something like: American soldiers come to Europe during WWI > they take artistic training back to US > French buddies also go to US > French artists come back to Europe as a result of the Depression > a bit more back and forth > end of dominance of Art Deco in Europe > Art Deco morphs into new American styles eg. Streamline and Miami Art Deco.

Makes sense as a process, right? I mean it’s probably a little simplistic and doesn’t allow for many influences other than those two countries, but the circumstances through which different artists and designers came into contact is an interesting lens through which to view this artistic movement and not one I had thought about before. The gallery space in the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine is enormous, and so there is plenty of space to make this case. As is often the case, objects were grouped largely chronologically but also thematically.

Art Deco – Style Moderne

So we begin this exhibition with a little grouping of overtly cross-cultural objects. Maquettes for an unrealised monument to French/American friendship, for instance. Or photomontages by Louis Bonnier of French monuments like Notre Dame dwarfed by new American skyscrapers. It’s a good way to set the scene, and nicer than diving straight into WWI which is in the next gallery.

Throughout the exhibition the objects tend to speak for themselves, but you need to read the text panels to relate them back to the exhibition’s theme. I was interested to read about how French artists taught camouflage skills in the US, for instance. Or how schools and programmes on both sides of the Atlantic exposed American artists and architects to new ideas from Europe. There is space given to the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (famous for having given Art Deco its name). And even a brief foray away from the United States to look at Ángel Zárraga’s paintings for the Mexican Embassy in Paris.

Once the cross-cultural exchange is well established and we move into the era when Art Deco was very much an international style, there are interesting thematic groupings. I particularly liked the section designed to evoke glamorous US department stores. And the room proclaiming the ocean liner as a de facto ambassador for the Art Deco look. The farthest point of the exhibition takes a look at the very building you’re in: the 1937 replacement of the Trocadéro with the Palais de Chaillot (partly because the older palace blocked views of the Eiffel Tower). And then you head back towards the exit past a section on American Streamline and Art Deco in Miami.

A Large Exhibition But A Good One

The main drawback to visiting Art Déco France / Amérique du Nord is the sheer scale of it. It’s a very large exhibition. After starting off by carefully reading everything, I found myself accelerating faster and faster towards the end. The latter sections definitely did not get the care and attention they deserved from me. I would recommend what I usually do in these situations, which is to hone in on the things that interest you most, and to make the most of any seating areas.

Otherwise I found it very enjoyable. The texts and labels are all translated into English (not very good for cross-cultural exchange otherwise!) and there’s a wide variety of objects on view. You really get a sense of how far Art Deco permeated into every area of art, architecture and culture. And although you don’t see much of the Palais de Chaillot from inside it, walking down the long sweeping line of the exhibition space is a good reminder of its lasting impact.

One thing the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine seems to be lacking is a gift shop, but there is a catalogue for those who want a permanent reminder. There also seems to be a very chic restaurant attached to the museum with views of the Eiffel Tower. Also extremely long queues when we exited the exhibition at Sunday lunch time so book ahead if that is your plan.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

Art Déco France / Amérique du Nord on until 6 March 2023

Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine

Temporary exhibition complete, our entry tickets also included the museum itself so we headed upstairs. Again the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine extends the length of half of the Palais de Chaillot so is not insignificant, but this time it is filled, on the first floor at least, with a lot of monumental objects. There’s an almost hidden second floor but more on that in due course.

The first floor of the museum reminded me strongly of the Cast Court at the V&A. It’s exactly the same idea – gathering together plaster casts of famous monuments into one place. It was popular in the 19th Century, when the casts were perhaps held in higher regard vs. the originals than would be the case today. The collection of the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (or specifically here the Musée National des Monuments Français) is church architecture. It’s so impressive: there are these massive church porches everywhere. So much Gothic splendour. Some of them have scale models as well. And in some cases it’s just particular sculptures that are represented, not huge sections of the church. There’s a bit about building techniques and some games for kids like building an arch with a keystone. But mostly it just looks really cool.

After getting back to the entrance I had the same feeling I did at the BNF Richelieu, which is to say: isn’t there more to this? So we enquired at the front desk and were directed up the stairs to the second floor. This is where they keep everything post-Medieval/Renaissance, and also a section dedicated to stained glass and frescoes. This part is a lot less plaster cast-focused and has a lot more maquettes.

Architecture Past And Present

The thing overall about the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine is that it feels a little unbalanced. This is mostly due to the scale of the works. The first floor I loved, as you’ve already read. When you head upstairs everything feels very cramped by comparison. There are tables displaying maquettes and images and text panels. No more life-sized copies.

Well, with a couple of exceptions. At the transition between the modern architecture and the stained glass/fresco section there is a replica two-floor Le Corbusier apartment from the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille. It’s fun to explore, I like looking in the cupboards and generally poking around. You can see Le Corbusier’s vast influence on modern living. And when you get to the next section it’s more full-sized reconstructions like downstairs. You finish in an immense domed space with painted ceiling, before exiting via a last view of the Eiffel Tower and out via the library.

Overall I rate this museum more highly than I did the BNF Richelieu recently. Because it’s right on the tourist trail it’s easy to detour to. And it’s good fun as well as informative. There are plenty of other cultural options nearby however, so you’re able to take your pick. If you’re visiting the exhibition and permanent collection, set aside a good couple of hours.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3.5/5