The new Hôtel de la Marine has just opened its doors to visitors

Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the new Hôtel de la Marine on Thursday June 10 after 4 years of renovation work on the building. He then met Gianni Infanto, president of Fifa (International Football Federation), one of whose branches is located at the Hôtel de la Marine.

“This monument, which represents centuries of history, will become a new attraction for France,” said the head of state.

Since June 12, visitors can discover this emblematic place created in the 18th century by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Along with the former Hôtel des Monnaies, which houses the Hôtel Crillon and the Automobile Club de France, it is one of the two large palaces designed to adorn the Place Royale, which has become Place de la Concorde.

Origin of the Hôtel de la Marine

Commissioned by Louis XV in 1758, the building opened its doors in 1774, under the name of “Hôtel du Garde-Mobilité”. It houses the administration of the Crown Furniture Repository, ancestor of the National Furniture. During the Revolution of 1789, Louis XVI and his ministers had to leave Versailles for Paris. In 1798, the Ministry of the Navy partially moved to the Garde-Meuble. Since 1806, it has occupied the entire building. It then became the headquarters of the naval staff for more than 2 centuries, until 2015.

Located on Place de la Concorde, east of Rue Royale, in the 8th arrondissement, the Hôtel de la Marine owes its name to the Ministry of the Navy, installed in the area since the Revolution. The building is also the seat of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery, chaired by former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Victor Schoelcher signed the decree for the abolition of slavery in the diplomatic salon on April 27, 1848. You can also find his office there. In addition, one of the interior shutters bears the trace of the break-in which took place in 1792. Thieves had entered there to steal the crown jewels, only a part was found.

During the Second World War, the German Navy occupied the Hôtel de la Marine. It had pierced openings in the shutters of the company lounge to watch over the Place de la Concorde and the Rue de Rivoli.

The new Hôtel de la Marine

In 2015, the Center des Monuments Nationaux was entrusted with the building renovation project. He decides to open a catering space, a café, a bookstore and 6,000 m² of co-working spaces between the 2nd and 4th floors. The rents will reimburse the loan of 80 million euros contracted by the CMN for its restoration project at a total cost of 132 million (including 10 million of public money, 20 million reported by the advertising tarpaulins during the works and 20 others of the rental of a space of 400 m2 for twenty years to the Al-Thani Foundation, which will exhibit works of art from the ruling family of Qatar).

The objective of this restoration is to revive the time of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne at the time of its construction in the 18th century, by restoring the original decorations. Visitors meet in a “Enlightenment” apartment or in a 19th century living room. They relive “the French art of living”. Now, the Hôtel de la Marine has 700 rooms, 12,700 m2 of space including 6200 m2 open to the public, 1100 m2 of outdoor spaces, 1550 m2 of tasting areas, 400 m2 of exhibition rooms …

A mixture of XVIIth and XXIst century

A luminous bouquet of a hundred LEDs illuminate the main courtyard of the Hotel. In the Court of the Intendant, a huge digital chandelier in the shape of a ring, displays the current cultural program. A 330 m² laminated glass canopy sits above, like an enormous crystal.

In the Cabinet des Glaces, the restored original furniture and a museography give the impression of stepping back in time. The dining room in the steward’s apartments shows the staging of an end of a meal. We see a jacket thrown on a chair, glasses still full, unfolded napkins …

From the loggia, overlooking the Place de la Concorde, a view of the Luxor obelisk, erected under Louis-Philippe in 1836. It is also from there that François Mitterrand and many heads of state, had attended the Revolution bicentenary parade.

Several circuits offer fascinating routes such as the one giving access to the ceremonial lounges; an immersive visit to the 18th century or a visit to the old gallery of tapestries in the Garde-Mobilité. These visits are accompanied by the “Confident”, a geolocated audio headset given to each visitor upon arrival. It is triggered according to the position of each.

A beautiful living space

The Hôtel de la Marine expects no less than 600,000 visitors in the first year thanks to this transformation combining the 18th and 21st centuries, visits and living spaces.

The bookstore, boutiques and the Lapérouse café are accessible from the arcades of Place e la Concorde and the Cour d’Honneur. Two dining areas, one of which offers a menu signed by Jean-François Piège, attract visitors to a decor created by Dorothée Delaye.

The site and furniture

In 2017, the work begins. It updates the original wall decorations, ceilings or floors with successive additions from the 19th and 20th centuries. The architect Hugh Dutton imagines an imposing glass roof over the courtyard of the Intendant who welcomes visitors.

The first phase of the site made it possible to remove up to 18 coats of paint accumulated over the centuries. We find the original condition of the building, the original paint being protected by a varnish. We had to restore the hidden decorations as we do for a painting, a real homecoming.

Concerning the furniture, we found original pieces thanks to the detailed inventory of the 1780s. The exceptional pieces disseminated at the Élysée, the Louvre or Versailles … have resumed their place in the study, the dining room or the games room … Original objects acquired at public sales complete the fittings.

Renovated inlaid parquet floors and wall hangings, patinated and aged, redone from authentic samples, complete the decoration.

The first floor, located on the Place de la Concorde side, was restored in the 2000s. The official salons of the Ministry of the Navy had first exhibited large pieces of furniture from the king, weapons and jewels.

An exhibition space for the Al-Thani collection

The National Monuments Center and the Al Thani Collection Foundation are the basis for the creation of the Collection’s exhibition galleries at the Hôtel de la Marine. The latter will host the works of the Collection over the next 20 years, alongside a program of thematic temporary exhibitions.

The Al Thani Collection Foundation serves to promote art and culture. The works of the Al Thani Collection, one of the most prestigious private art collections in the world, have been shown in temporary exhibitions in major international institutions. Among them are the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the National Museum in Tokyo.

The Al Thani Collection will be presented to the public for the first time next fall at the Hôtel de la Marine. A range of culture and civilizations, it includes an exceptional collection of works of art from Antiquity to the present day.

Hotel de la Marine

• 2, place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
• Daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (10 p.m. on Fridays).
• Courses for children to book on: https: //tickets.monuments-nationaux.fr/fr-FR/familles …

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