Lafayette Anticipations

Did Lafayette Anticipations always have such a futuristic heart beating within its historic walls? Lafayette Anticipations, nestled in the Marais district of Paris at 9 Rue du Plâtre, isn’t your typical art gallery. It’s a dynamic space where contemporary art, design, music, and performing arts collide. This renovated 19th-century industrial building, originally part of the Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville, opened its doors as Lafayette Anticipations in March 2018. The Galeries Lafayette Group spearheaded its transformation, envisioning a space where artists could explore new ways of creating and interacting with the public. The building itself is a work of art. Rem Koolhaas and his firm OMA masterfully blended the old with the new. They inserted a striking glass and steel tower into the building’s central courtyard. This tower houses four mobile floors, capable of 49 different configurations. Imagine the possibilities for artistic expression within these ever-shifting walls. Lafayette Anticipations is more than just an exhibition space. It’s a place of production, with workshops in the basement levels. It’s a place of exchange, where artists and visitors can connect. It even bridges two streets, Rue du Plâtre and Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, with a public passageway on the ground floor. The foundation also hosts two annual festivals. Closer Music in January spotlights emerging musical talent. Échelle Humaine in September blends performing arts with visual arts. Lafayette Anticipations truly lives up to its name, anticipating and shaping the future of art.