A third museum for Fragonard in Paris

After its townhouse on rue Scribe and the Théâtre des Capucines, the Grasse-based perfumer’s third museum is set to open on square Louis Jouvet, close to the Opéra. One of the highlights of the summer, this showcase, on the site of the old Eden Théâtre and a former velodrome where Parisians learned to peddle in 1865, is already causing quite a stir. After more than a year of extensive works supervised by architect François Muracciole, the museum welcomes visitors since the end of June. Its 19th century functional splendor and industrial modernity, stucco moldings, Eiffel beams, glass tiles and glass roof, have all been sensitively restored. The building has kept its soul well and truly intact – all 2,500 sq.m. of it. A room with ivory-colored walls will house a mini-factory demonstrating the perfume-making process, from A to Z, and part of the Fragonard private collection, including vintage vases and precious bottles, some dating back to ancient Egypt. Temporary events are also in the pipeline, starting with an exhibition of photos of the renovation. You’re bound to “come up smelling of roses”!