Paris to Host World’s First Alberto Giacometti Museum
Paris, March 9, 2026 – The French capital is preparing to unveil the world’s first museum solely dedicated to the renowned Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti. The new institution, named the Musée & École Giacometti, is slated to open in the second half of 2028 within the renovated former Invalides train station in the 7th arrondissement.
The announcement by the Alberto and Annette Giacometti Foundation marks a significant addition to Paris’s vibrant art scene. The project is part of the larger “Réinventer Paris” urban renewal initiative, which aims to transform neglected heritage sites across the city. The renovation of the Invalides station, originally built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, is being spearheaded by real estate developers Emerige Group and Nexity.
A Grand Scale for a Prolific Artist
The future museum, strategically located near the Seine and the Pont Alexandre III, will span an impressive 6,000 square meters. This is a substantial expansion from the current Institut Giacometti, which occupies a 350-square-meter space in the 14th arrondissement.
Half of the new museum’s area will be dedicated to exhibition spaces, featuring permanent displays of Giacometti’s works, temporary contemporary art exhibitions, and a meticulous reconstruction of his studio. The remaining half will house a café, a restaurant, a bookstore, and an educational area, emphasizing a holistic visitor experience.
While the scale of the museum has drawn some criticism, with Swiss journalist Mathieu van Berchem questioning its “somewhat excessive” size given Giacometti’s preference for simplicity, the foundation emphasizes the artist’s prolific nature. Curator Peter Selz described Giacometti as an artist constantly at work, whose “hands never stopped, molding clay on armatures, drawing figures and hands on paper napkins, envelopes, or tabletops.” This dedication to creation has inspired the educational dimension of the new institution.
Catherine Grenier, director of the foundation, believes that all museums should be conceived as learning spaces. The Musée & École Giacometti is designed to appeal to a broad audience, not just artists, by offering an accessible approach to artistic forms and practices that can sometimes be perceived as esoteric.
A Vast Collection to Be Unveiled
Following Alberto Giacometti’s death in 1966, his artistic legacy was entrusted to his wife, Annette Giacometti. She undertook an extensive archiving effort until the early 1990s, meticulously documenting the sculptor’s work. A significant portion of these pieces came from his 23-square-meter studio in Montparnasse, which she completely emptied and documented, from works painted directly on the walls to ashtrays filled with his cigarette butts.
Today, the collection comprises approximately 10,000 objects. This includes thousands of drawings, over 400 sculptures, about a hundred paintings, as well as decorative objects and prints from the artist’s studio. According to Catherine Grenier, this comprehensive collection features major works from all periods of Giacometti’s career: his early beginnings, the Surrealist period, the war years, the post-war era, and the end of his life.
The future museum is expected to present several hundred works from this extensive collection, many of which have never before been exhibited to the public. This will provide an unprecedented opportunity for visitors to delve into the depth and breadth of Giacometti’s artistic output.
The opening of the Musée & École Giacometti is poised to further solidify Paris’s position as a global cultural hub, offering a dedicated space to explore the profound impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential sculptors.
