The 40, rue de Sèvres is one of Paris' heritage gems. Known for having housed the hospice of the Incurables, then the hospital Laennec, it was then the subject of a vast project of rehabilitation - subject to the requirements of hospital practice, this architectural masterpiece had suffered many attacks to its original appearance.
In 2000, the State ceded the entire site in order to finance the construction of the European hospital Georges-Pompidou, and substantial development work was carried out to recover and upgrade the constructions dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The challenge was of immense complexity: to restore the value of the places without betraying the spirit, and this, in respect of the spaces classified or inscribed, like the chapel built under Louis XIII.
Associated with the rehabilitation project from the outset, Kering has actively contributed to the revival of the 17,000 m² of this unique site that hosts the headquarters of Kering and Maison Balenciaga. And it is quite natural that the Group decided, in 2016, to open this exceptional place to the public.
While the theme of the 39th edition of the European Heritage Days is «Sustainable Heritage», Kering will propose to explore, for its 7th participation, a brand new tour route.
The 40 rue de Sèvres complies with the highest standards of respect and protection of the environment, and after the installation in spring 2017 of five hives in the Turgot Court, Kering joined in 2020 the Noé participatory science program, The Garden Biodiversity Observatory, and encourages its collaborators, for example, to identify butterfly species in its gardens.
Since the venue reopened in 2016, the Pinault Collection has been involved in this event every year. In 2022, she will present a selection of works by Belgian artist Edith Dekyndt. Entitled «Aria of Inertia», this exhibition, which offers a selection of works from the Collection and new productions, was designed for the very singular space of the chapel of the former Laennec hospital.
For the first time, the Pinault Collection exhibition is part of Women In Motion, a Kering program that highlights women in arts and culture.
In parallel, in the Croix Est de Laennec, a new selection of creations by Cristóbal Balenciaga will also be on display, offering the public a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of the House and discover a new facet of its creative universe.
A children’s booklet will be made available to visitors to allow the youngest to discover this exceptional place from a playful angle.