Pavillon de l'Indochine

Pavillon de l'Indochine stands in the Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale, at the edge of the Bois de Vincennes in Paris. You find it among other pavilions and monuments scattered through a garden shaped by France’s colonial history. Its neoclassical structure includes a distinctive glass dome, while Indochinese elements give the architecture its particular character.

Built for the Exposition Universelle of 1900, the pavilion formed part of an exhibition landscape representing French colonies. Those displays presented biodiversity and agronomic advances from overseas territories, alongside France’s wider imperial ambitions. The garden began in 1899 as a place for agronomic experiments and later hosted colonial exhibitions, including one in 1907.

The grounds then served as a hospital during the World Wars before becoming a centre for agronomic research. Renovation in 2011 restored the pavilion’s original appearance and preserved its neoclassical form. The glass dome remains its most memorable detail, set within a public garden where colonial-era buildings stand among trees and paths.