The Historic Hôtel de la Marine in Paris Emerges from the Waves

The Hôtel de la Marine (Headquarters of the French Navy) has found its home port. The former Garde-Meuble de la Couronne (Furniture Storage for the Crown), built by Ange Jacques Gabriel (1698-1782) for King Louis XV between 1758 and 1774 on what would be the future Place de la Concorde, has been adrift over the past ten years at the whim of political, economic and even diplomatic currents. Its future has been constantly invented and reinvented since it was announced in 2011 that the Naval Headquarters would move to the "French Pentagon" at Balard, the new site of the French Ministry of Defense in the 15 th arrondissement. In a response to the public outcry, after a discreet attempt to sell the building via the France Domaine website, a plan for the site to be run by private promoters (including the Allard group), an idea to join the site with the Louvre and a short-lived project seeking to create a major venue promoting French gastronomy, the State decided in favor of the CMN (Center for National Monuments)  to take over the site. Since nearly all the original fixtures and fittings are still intact, it was clear the project should be heritage-focused. However, there…