Louvre des Antiquaires

The Louvre des Antiquaires was a prestigious covered antiques and art gallery in Paris, France, located at 2, place du Palais-Royal in the 1st arrondissement. It occupied a vast Second Empire-style building dating from 1852, whose quadrilateral footprint is bounded by the place du Palais-Royal to the north-west, rue Saint-Honoré to the north-east, rue de Marengo to the south-east and rue de Rivoli to the south-west, facing the Louvre palace and museum across the street. The centre was installed in refurbished premises of the former Grands Magasins du Louvre, which had closed in 1974, and spread over 10,000 m² across three levels — basement, ground floor and first floor — with upper floors converted into offices. Inaugurated in October 1978, the Louvre des Antiquaires was at the time the leading covered antiques centre in France by importance, though it competed with other Parisian venues such as the Carré Rive Gauche, the Village suisse and the surroundings of the Drouot auction house, while the Saint-Ouen flea market remained the largest centre of the trade. At its peak, some 250 commercial units hosted antique dealers offering high-end ancient objects from the Orient and the Occident, ranging from high antiquity to the 1980s, including art objects, antiques, clocks, jewellery and old paintings. The ground-floor facades on the place du Palais-Royal and rue de Rivoli were arranged as arcades, in harmony with neighbouring buildings. Temporary thematic exhibitions related to the world of antiques were regularly organised in dedicated spaces. The building's owner and landlord since 1995, Société Foncière Lyonnaise, evicted the antiques tenants in order to transform the site into a fashion-oriented shopping centre. By April 2015 only nine dealers remained, and by 2019 only one (a jewellery shop). The opening of the new shopping centre, at one point planned for 2018, was postponed to 2020 and then abandoned. In 2018 the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain announced plans to move into the levels formerly occupied by the dealers from 2025, presenting its permanent collection on 6,000 m². The building closed to the public from August 2020 for renovation by Jean Nouvel, and the Fondation Cartier opened there on 25 October 2025. The Louvre des Antiquaires thus ceased to operate as an antiques centre in October 2025. Its official website continues as a blog dedicated to art, history and antiques, paying homage to the historic venue.

The Louvre des Antiquaires was installed in refurbished premises of the former Grands Magasins du Louvre, which had closed in 1974. The building itself is a Second Empire-style structure dating from 1852, with a quadrilateral plan bounded by the place du Palais-Royal, rue Saint-Honoré, rue de Marengo and rue de Rivoli. The antiques centre occupied 10,000 m² over three levels — basement, ground floor and first floor — while the upper floors were converted into offices. Inaugurated in October 1978, the Louvre des Antiquaires was at the time the leading covered antiques centre in France by importance. It nevertheless faced competition within Paris from venues such as the Carré Rive Gauche in the 7th arrondissement, the Village suisse in the 15th arrondissement and the area around the Drouot auction house in the 9th arrondissement. The largest centre of the antiques trade in France remained, by far, the Saint-Ouen flea market on the edge of the capital, despite its extra-muros location and less elegant environment. At its peak, the centre housed some 250 commercial units where antique dealers offered high-end ancient objects from the Orient and the Occident, from high antiquity to the 1980s. Dealers provided sale and purchase services for art objects, antiques, clocks, jewellery and old paintings. The ground-floor facades on the place du Palais-Royal and rue de Rivoli were arranged as arcades, in harmony with other buildings on that part of rue de Rivoli. Temporary thematic exhibitions related to antiques were regularly organised in dedicated spaces. The official website also allowed visitors to discover objects, reserve an item and have their own art objects appraised. In 1995, Société Foncière Lyonnaise became the owner of the building and the landlord. It evicted the antiques tenants in order to transform the site into a shopping centre devoted to fashion. By April 2015 only nine dealers remained, and by 2019 only one, a jewellery shop. The opening of the new shopping centre, at one point planned for 2018, was postponed to 2020 and then abandoned. In 2019, the upper floors were mainly occupied by Fast Retailing, the Groupement des cartes bancaires, Hugo Boss, IEDOM, Proparco and Swiss Life Asset Managers. In 2018, the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain planned to move into the levels formerly occupied by the dealers from 2025, presenting its permanent collection on 6,000 m²; the collection had previously been housed at 261, boulevard Raspail in the 14th arrondissement. This reconfiguration took shape in a context of considerable architectural and museum renewal in the district, including the Canopée des Halles, the Bourse de commerce-Collection Pinault, the Louvre's central post and La Samaritaine. The building was closed to the public from August 2020 for renovation to accommodate the Fondation Cartier (basement, ground floor and first floor forming a mezzanine) as well as offices on the upper floors. The Fondation Cartier opened there on 25 October 2025, the building having been redesigned by Jean Nouvel. The Louvre des Antiquaires thus ceased its antiques activity in October 2025. Its official website now serves as a blog dedicated to art, history and antiques, inspired by the spirit of the historic venue.

• 2025

  The Fondation Cartier opens on 25 October; the Louvre des Antiquaires ceases antiques activity in October.

• 2020

  The building closes to the public from August for renovation by Jean Nouvel.

• 2019

  Only one dealer (a jewellery shop) remains; upper floors occupied by various companies.

• 2018

  The Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain announces plans to move into the former dealers' levels from 2025.

• 2015

  By April, only nine antiques dealers remain in the centre.

• 1995

  Société Foncière Lyonnaise becomes owner of the building and landlord.

• 1978

  Inauguration of the Louvre des Antiquaires in October, at the time the leading covered antiques centre in France.

• 1974

  Closure of the Grands Magasins du Louvre, whose premises were later refurbished for the antiques centre.

• 1852

  Construction of the Second Empire-style building that would later house the Louvre des Antiquaires.

Prestigious high-end antiques and art gallery in central Paris, the leading covered antiques centre in France at its inauguration.

• Antiques and art objects

  High-end ancient objects from the Orient and Occident, from high antiquity to the 1980s.

• Clocks and pendulums

  Antique clocks and pendulums sold by dealers.

• Jewellery and fine jewellery

  Jewellery and fine jewellery offered by specialist dealers.

• Old paintings

  Old master and antique paintings sold by dealers.

1. 1Bienvenue dans l’univers du Louvre des Antiquaires et de l’artlouvre-antiquaires.com
2. 2Le blog qui vous fait découvrir les antiquités et le Louvre des Antiquaireslouvre-antiquaires.com
3. 3Louvre des antiquaireswikidata.org
4. 4Louvre des antiquairesfr.wikipedia.org