Fluctuart museum prepares for opening on the Seine

Fluctuart, a Paris museum billed as the world’s first floating urban arts centre, has docked on the banks of the Seine in preparation for its opening later this Spring. The concept was created in response to the city’s ‘Reinventing the Seine’ initiative, which called for proposals to explore new ways of living, working and moving on or around the water. The project has three founders, who together developed the idea for an accessible space devoted to street art: Géraud Boursin, entrepreneur and open-air hospitality business manager, Nicolas Laugero Lasserre, head of cultural and art market management school ICART, and investor Éric Philippon. 

The founders recruited head of Seine Design, Gérard Ronzatti, to bring the vision to life as ship’s architect. Located next to Pont des Invalides, the 1000 sq m centre will house temporary exhibitions, a permanent collection, a specialised bookshop, cultural events, creative workshops, and a rooftop for meetings and socialising. Each of the three levels has a different relationship to the river. In the hold, openings at either end offer views of the other bridges, while the main deck has thirteen windows overlooking the banks. The upper deck offers an airy space open to the sky, connected to the levels below by a vertical patio. 

The building as a whole is striking for its transparency, which highlights the founders’ intention to create a welcoming environment. Philippine Fuchs, graduate in Art history, stated on behalf of Fluctuart: “Located on the banks of the Seine, a place of great affluence, of gathering and entertainment to many, this centre, entirely modular and transparent, is made to be an open space for a wide audience.” Nicolas Laugero Lasserre stressed the need for a particular type of building to house urban art, saying: “Fluctuart reflects the artists it welcomes. Creative, open, committed and rooted in our age. For the first time in France, artists, amateurs and urban art lovers, as well as street art, post graffiti and urban cultures, will be meeting in one single art centre dedicated to this movement.”

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

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