“Listed as a historic monument” – Le Bourget Airport
The project
"Classé Monument Historique" (in English, "Listed As A Historic Monument") is a monumental work embedded into the façade of the Maison Chenue site for art conservation at Le Bourget Airport in Paris.
The work depicts the quiet, intimate ambiance of a vintage drawing room, set into the wall of the building’s main entrance. It’s an old tapestry, with binary code stitched into it, and a sculpture of a folded cardboard box in the center, gilded with gold leaf to make it look like a holy relic.
The artwork illuminates itself from within, like an act of introspection. Wall lights add to the sense of an inhabited home. A frieze of precious marble mosaics illustrates the different modes of transportation throughout human history.
Since the laying of the building's foundation stone, the artist has actively contributed to the construction of this monumental project. Despite the health crisis, the project was completed on time, thanks to the responsiveness of all the teams.
Lord Anthony Cahn brought his artistic value to this monumental vault for artworks while adapting to the various constraints imposed by the site.
This project reflects the spirit and heritage of France. Since 1760, André Chenue Company, a jewel of French industry, has carried on the national know-how of traditional crafts such as that of fine-art case makers and packers.
Made of a wide variety of materials, drawing on many different trades, the sculpture was produced by the artist in collaboration with Glenn Lewkowicz’s architecture studio.
The techniques they used give the work enduring qualities that will only grow more beautiful with time.
This innovative conservation site, which is directly linked to contemporary art and fosters a dialogue between architecture and art, has been recognized in its field by being named the winner of the SIMI Grand Prize for Architecture.