Hôtel de la Marine

The Hôtel de la Marine stands on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, as a landmark of French classical architecture. Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed its monumental facade for the square. Corinthian columns and a loggia shape the exterior, casting patterns of light and shadow across its classical surface. A royal Garde-Meuble first occupied this building. After the French Revolution, the Ministry of the Navy used the Hôtel de la Marine. Restored eighteenth-century apartments present the rooms of Marc-Antoine Thierry de Ville-d’Avray. The Intendant’s apartments retain lavish furnishings and multicoloured marquetry floors from the late eighteenth century. Salons and chambers recall the French Navy’s presence. A glass skylight now covers the Courtyard of the Intendant, using polished stainless-steel ribs to redirect daylight. Architect Hugh Dutton designed that modern roof structure. Part of the building houses the Al Thani Collection, whose international works connect different artistic cultures. Parisian history meets royal interiors inside this building.