Paris to honor designer of Art Nouveau Métro entrances with new museum

Paris will honor Hector Guimard, the Art Nouveau architect whose sinuous Metro entrances have become synonymous with the French capital, with a dedicated museum set to open in late 2027. The project represents a cultural rehabilitation for a designer whose work was once dismissed by Parisians as "spaghetti style."

The museum will occupy the Hôtel Mezzara in Paris's 16th arrondissement, a building Guimard himself designed in 1910. The announcement comes as the city continues to grapple with preserving its architectural heritage while managing urban development pressures.

Museum Takes Shape in Guimard's Own Design

The Hôtel Mezzara will undergo a €6 million renovation before opening as the Guimard museum in late 2027 or early 2028. The building retains many original Art Nouveau features and will display Guimard's furniture, building plans, and other works.traveltomorrow

"We see this museum as repairing an injustice done to Guimard," Nicolas Horiot, an architect and president of Le Cercle Guimard, told The Guardian. The association, founded 23 years ago, has been advocating with Paris city officials for recognition of the late architect's contributions.traveltomorrow

The museum will be located near Guimard's own private residence and other projects in the same neighborhood, creating a concentrated showcase of his work.traveltomorrow

From Rejection to Icon

Guimard's Metro entrances faced fierce opposition when they debuted in the early 1900s. Of the original 167 iron-and-glass "Métropolitain" constructions, only 88 remain today.traveltomorrow

"It may be surprising to foreign visitors but the French have never really liked art nouveau," said Fabien Choné, a Guimard collector involved in establishing the museum. "There was great opposition to Guimard's Métro entrances. While visitors saw them as marvellous symbols of the belle époque Métro, Parisians criticised it as what they called spaghetti style."traveltomorrow

By 1913, Paris transport authorities had abandoned Guimard's designs. When he died in New York in 1942 after fleeing Nazi persecution, his work was largely forgotten.traveltomorrow

Preservation Efforts Gain Momentum

Guimard's widow Adeline returned to Paris in 1948 and attempted to preserve his legacy, including trying to bequeath their Art Nouveau home to the state and city. Both rejected her offer, and the building was converted to residential apartments after her death.traveltomorrow

The revival began in 1970 with a New York exhibition, but progress remained gradual. "After the Second World War, Guimard was completely forgotten. Art Nouveau no longer interested people in the urban design of the 1960s, and many of his pieces were destroyed," Horiot explained.traveltomorrow