# Paris isn't as architecturally conservative as it may seem

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2025-09-13

paris, tadao-ando, architecture, design, bourse-de-commerce, art-gallery, contemporary-art, modern-art, culture

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It would be easy to assume that Paris might be a city trapped in its architectural past. Its global brand is most often associated with the [work of Haussmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris) from the 19th century. The city itself is almost entirely devoid of modern skyscrapers. And heritage preservation rules are, from what I gather, strict. But look behind and [beyond](https://brandondonnelly.com/the-new-paris-discovering-greater-paris-beyond-the-peripherique) Haussmann's facades, and you'll find a city that is progressive and experimental.

Take, for example, the [_Bourse de Commerce_](https://www.pinaultcollection.com/fr/boursedecommerce). Originally constructed in the 18th century as a hall to both store and sell wheat, a recent renovation by Japanese architect Tadao Ando dropped an exposed concrete cylinder right in the middle of it. It is now a contemporary art museum and, in my opinion, one of the most architecturally interesting buildings in the city.

Paris certainly cares about its past — as it should — but it's also not afraid to intervene and break free from it in dramatic ways.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4de58c6ec300246fcbb219fb419a1778f389e9c3de5a8cd7dbabdf7647d7231d.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/f88d601c9e58523b59d0d338f55a67bfcb066f482ede360f3bc547019c478617.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5482d9c675df59363d222e77f513c0027e5eb23609d81658d1b5192ace5dd89e.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/b8483c1ae2d080afb7e64f3d587599b79fe67b114a5bc8e720dddf5869de32f8.jpg)

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/paris-isnt-as-architecturally-conservative-as-it-may-seem)*