The Story of the Maison de l'Océan

When Prince Albert I entrusted him with the construction of his Paris institute, the architect Henri-Paul Nénot had already been commissioned to rebuild the Sorbonne. He designed a building at the cutting edge of innovation in terms of facilities: vast research laboratories, collection rooms, libraries, conference rooms and a great amphitheatre.

In keeping with the prince's wish to bring art and science together, he applied the same decorative logic he had deployed at the Sorbonne. The use of each space is illustrated by its decor: the façade is adorned with sculpted marine motifs, the secretariat plunges visitors into an underwater landscape, and the Great Amphitheatre is decorated with fishing and navigation scenes.

Since 2004, the building has been listed as a Historic Monument, a fitting recognition of the work of Nénot and of the artists who worked alongside him.