Bourse de Commerce de Paris – Paris Commodities Exchange

The beautiful rotunda building before you is the former Paris Commodities Exchange. Make your way around to the majestic entrance. The building was constructed on the site of the Hôtel de Soisson, a palace owned by Catherine de Médicis. Upon her death, the palace passed down from heir to heir, until it came into the hands of Victor Amédée de Savoie. The latter died in 1741, completely ruined, in what could only be described as a dilapidated palace. The building was seized to pay off the prince’s debts, and was eventually demolished. The city bought the land, and made the most of its proximity to the Seine and the passage of boats loaded with grain to build a corn exchange – a project it had been considering for several years. Architect Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières took on the job and designed a huge circular building with two parallel galleries, each featuring 24 columns. Everything was perfectly thought out and well organized. The building housed the police, who made sure that all traded goods were accurately weighed and measured, businesses owned by merchants, and administrative staff. A majestic double staircase led up to the attic, which took up the entire upper floor and was used to store wheat. Fun fact: wheat is still synonymous with wealth today, as “make a lot of bread” is slang for “make a lot of money.” Fast forward to the late 19th century, and the corn exchange saw a decline in activity and was ravaged by fire. In 1885, the decision was taken to rebuild it and transform it into a commodities exchange. The original structure was kept intact and they added three statues to the portico, representing Abundance, Commerce and the City of Paris. Inside, an extraordinary fresco painted under the dome shows the lively exchange of goods between the five continents, celebrating international trade. The building became a hub for trading grains, sugar, and alcohol. In 2016, the Chamber of Commerce announced that it was leaving the premises to the Paris City Council and François Pinault, a French billionaire and art lover. The latter decided to give the hall its 1889 look back and use it to house his contemporary art collections. The space was redesigned by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and now exhibits 10 Pinault collections a year. Be sure to check out which one is currently on display, and come discover the beautiful interior of Paris’s former grain exchange.