Palais de Tokyo

Price guide: Mid-range

13 avenue du Président-Wilson, Paris, 75116

Price guide: Mid-range

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Palais de Tokyo
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By Natasha Edwards, your Paris expert

I write for Conde Nast Traveller, Elle .... Read more
#20 of 30
expert-rated things to do in Paris
Expert overall rating:4.4 out of 5
Value for money:
4
4.0
Recommended for:
Culture vultures, Families with teenagers, Families with younger children, First-time travellers, Seasoned travellers, Art, Design and architecture, Education, Trendiness

Best for Chilling out - Expert review of Palais de Tokyo

Last updated 3 March 2011

Exciting contemporary art in an artfully distressed setting.

Compared to the sedate atmosphere of many Paris museums, the Palais de Tokyo has a buzzy feel of art in the making. The vast 1930s building was originally built for the 1937 Exposition Universelle — along with the Musée d'Art Modern de la Ville de Paris on the other side of the peristyle — and its vast spaces were renovated in the early 1990s by architects Lacaton & Vassal with a deliberately unfinished (and economic to convert) look that works very well. The vast curved main gallery is excellent for large-scale installations, while there are also several smaller exhibition and video spaces. In keeping with the spirit, there's a good art bookshop, a fun gift and designer object shop that ranges from artists' editions and funky T-shirts to stickers, plus the trendy Tokyo Eat restaurant and a basement café Tokyo Self.

Price advice: 

9 euros, free under 18s.

Expert tips: 
Check what's on before you come: between the big shows it can seem rather empty.
The gallery staff are all trained "mediators", there to explain the artworks to visitors.

More information on Palais de Tokyo:

Price guide:
Mid-range
Type:
Architectural site, Art gallery
Address:
13 avenue du Président-Wilson, Paris, 75116
Telephone:
01 47 23 54 01
Website:
http://www.palaisdetokyo.com
Months open:
All year round
Opening times:
Currently Tue-Sun noon-9pm; the Palais de Tokyo will go back to its original noon-midnight hours after rehabilitation work is completed in spring 2012.
Indoor/outdoor?:
Indoor
Free tags / Keywords:
Art, Rainy days

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