Spread across 3,300 square meters on five floors, Sotheby’s new flagship Paris location in the city’s art, fashion and luxury district will have nearly 30 percent more exhibition space—an extra 1,275 square meters. To this we can add these impressive key features: a 240-square-meter auction hall on the ground floor, a 75-square-meter cafe that seats thirty and more than 200 meters of linear exhibition space. The auction house’s new Paris showroom measures 145 square meters.
All of this tony real estate in one of the most upscale areas of Paris will, when it opens mid-October during Paris Art Week, house fifteen specialist departments, from ancient art to the work of Old Masters to modern and contemporary art and the arts of Asia, Africa and Oceania, plus silverware, books and manuscripts, jewelry, watches, handbags, wine and high-end vehicles. According to Mario Tavella, president of Sotheby’s France and Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, the auction house’s new, more expansive Parisian home will be particularly well-suited to showcasing single-owner collections.
The move to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and a building that previously housed the renowned Galerie Bernheim-Jeune “underscores our commitment to France and highlights the growing importance of the French art and luxury markets to our company,” Tavella said in a statement
Sotheby’s new Parisian home on the corner of Avenue Matignon will offer clients an enhanced experience, including master classes and events and elegant and welcoming relaxation and dining areas. “Open, transparent, and convivial, with a café and wine cellar, our clients will be able to enjoy the excitement of our auctions not only in the auction room but also from the upper floors,” Tavella added. “Passersby will have a unique glimpse into the auction room through the full-length transparent windows giving onto the street.”
The opening of the new location is aligned with the company’s global strategy, and the announcement coincides with the imminent opening of Sotheby’s Hong Kong at the end of July of this year. Next up will be the auction house’s 2025 move in New York to the Breuer building, which was home to the Whitney Museum, then Met Breuer and most recently, Frick Madison (the temporary home of the Frick Collection). Choosing a landmark location in the beating heart of every city, Sotheby’s aims to reinforce its role as a global player in the worlds of art and luxury.
