There is a lot to look forward to when Hôtel de la Marine, Place de la Concorde, reopens this summer (in July if all goes according to plan)…
A bit of history
Originally known as “Hôtel du Garde-Meuble” this 18th-century building to the east of Rue Royale boasts a façade by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, First Architect to Louis XV and designer of the square. The identical building to its west has been home to 5-star Hôtel de Crillon since 1909.
The building then housed royal furniture, weapons, and jewels – its galleries were periodically open to the public. A chapel, a library, workshops, stables, and many apartments were also part of the monument.
Since the French Revolution and till 2015, the country’s naval staff was headquartered in Hôtel de la Marine, hence its name (“Hotel of the Navy”).
Today
It’s now been three years the building is being redesigned and renovated; visitors should be able to step into the monument in July 2020, a first in more than two centuries. It will be accessible both from Rue Royale and Place de la Concorde, with two magnificent courtyards whose lighting effects are most promising.
Inside the building, we should be blown away by the restoration of the original apartments, galleries, etc., to be discovered on guided tours.
French superstar chefs such as Jean-François Piège and Alain Ducasse will respectively head the future restaurant and tearoom. Also expect a café, a bookshop, and more boutiques…
The renovated Hôtel de la Marine will additionally house office spaces (6,000 sqm) and will accommodate events, workshops, temporary exhibitions… Last but not least, the Al Thani family (from Qatar) will benefit from a 400-sqm space to exhibit the 6,000 art pieces of their exceptional private collection over the next 20 years.