Contemporary · Architecture

Carrousel du Louvre

Paris

Carrousel du Louvre is an underground shopping mall in Paris, located on Rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement. Large parts of its 10,200 m² area lie under Place du Carrousel, between the Marsan and Flora wings of the Louvre. The shopping center is near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the Comédie-Française theater, and museums in the Palais du Louvre, and it provides access to the Musée du Louvre through its passage.

Opened in 1993, the underground arcade incorporates preserved foundation remains of the medieval castle beneath the shopping area, some of which are partly visible. Sculptures from the destroyed façade of the Palais des Tuileries are also exhibited in the display area. At the center of the complex is a glass inverted pyramid with a square surface at street level, whose tip directs daylight into the shopping passage. The center includes shops, food establishments, textile vendors, galleries, and attached facilities such as the Viparis congress center and the Amphithéâtre Rohan lecture hall.

Map showing the location of Carrousel du Louvre in Paris
Location of Carrousel du Louvre in Paris

Nearby Objects

Location and Setting

Carrousel du Louvre is an underground shopping mall in Paris. It is located on Rue de Rivoli in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The site is near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the Comedie-Francaise theater, and various museums in the Palais du Louvre. The mall is operated by Viparis, a company belonging to the Unibail-Rodamco group. Its position places it within a dense urban and cultural setting closely linked to some of Paris's major institutions and landmarks.

Underground Shopping and Archaeology

Carrousel du Louvre is a 10,200 m2 shopping center located under much of Place du Carrousel, between the Marsan and Flora wings of the Louvre. Its underground setting combines retail space with preserved archaeological remains: foundation remains of the medieval castle below the shopping area were uncovered and kept, and these foundations are partly visible in the underground shopping arcade opened in 1993. The display area also exhibits sculptures from the destroyed facade of the Palais des Tuileries.

At the center of the complex is the glass inverted pyramid, whose square surface is at street level and whose tip directs daylight into the shopping passage. Around this central point and its connecting corridors are food establishments, shops, textile vendors, and galleries. The center also provides access to the Musee du Louvre through its passage.

Beyond its retail functions, the complex includes the Viparis Carrousel du Louvre congress center, the Amphitheatre Rohan lecture hall with 600 seats belonging to the Ecole du Louvre, and 615 parking spaces. Apple opened its first store in France here in 2009. With about 16.7 million visitors in 2013, Carrousel du Louvre ranks among the most visited shopping centers in France. The nearest metro station is Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre.

2017 Security Incident

On February 3, 2017, a man carried out a knife attack at an entrance of Carrousel du Louvre. In response, Carrousel du Louvre and the neighboring Louvre were closed for several hours. The French government suspected that the attack was a terrorist act.

The Salon du Carrousel du Louvre

The Salon du Carrousel du Louvre is organized annually by the Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts, an organization founded by Louis Martinet and Theophile Gautier in 1861. The salon presents an overview of contemporary art and includes work by painters, sculptors, engravers, photographers, and illustrators. In 2018, it showed works by 600 artists and attracted around 15,000 visitors.