The future Guimard Museum within the Hôtel Mezzara
Located in the Auteuil neighborhood of Paris’s 16th arrondissement, the hôtel Mezzara is one of architect Hector Guimard’s most interesting buildings. Much less well known than his Paris “metro” (=subway) entrances, this building surprises with its elegance and its perfect response to the client’s specification: a place intended for family life, but also for professional life, receptions, and creativity.
Photo F. D.
Paul Mezzara, born in France in 1866, had an artistic personality that led him to begin a career as a painter before turning to industrial art, founding a lace and embroidery company in Venice and then in Paris, which secured him a solid financial position. Having become a recognized figure in the field of decorative art, he was appointed vice-president of the “Société des Artistes Décorateurs” in 1910, at the same time as Guimard. From then on, his changing social status, which enabled him to own a Parisian mansion, and his rapport with the architect made it logical for him to place an order in that same year, 1910.
Thanks to a plot of land acquired near the Castel Béranger, built fifteen years earlier, the hôtel Mezzara reflects the evolution of Guimard’s style, which had become more subdued and elegant, while remaining faithful to the principles he had established in 1899. The facades and interior spaces display a decorative refinement whose cost was nevertheless kept under control by an architect who knew how to forge alliances with industry, while still being able to produce priceless unique pieces such as the dining room furniture, his only set of furniture still in its original location.
Photo F. D.
Its grand hall, lit by a skylight-stained glass window and featuring a striking staircase, demonstrates that Art Nouveau was indeed the first of the modern styles and that it was not content to be merely a decorative revolution.
Listed as a historic monument, the hôtel Mezzara now belongs to the French State. In January 2025, the Île-de-France and Paris Regional Public Finance Directorate, which manages the State’s Parisian real estate, launched a call for applications with a view to signing an administrative long-term lease to develop this private mansion.
In June 2025, the bid review committee, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Culture, selected the bid from FABELSI (the personal holding company of French entrepreneur Fabien Choné), which plans to create a museum dedicated to Hector Guimard in this location, which is representative of his work. The lease agreement was signed on July 25, 2025, by the Minister of Culture.
This project involves, on the one hand, the creation of a real estate company in which FABELSI and Banque des Territoires- Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, will be co-investors, dedicated to the restoration and enhancement of the hôtel Mezzara, and, on the other hand, the creation of a museum dedicated to the work of Hector Guimard, which will be operated by Hector Guimard Diffusion, a subsidiary of FABELSI and the Cercle Guimard association.
A living, modern, and international museum
The project includes a complete restoration of the building, with the assistance of Art Nouveau specialists, artisans, restorers, and the architect of historic monuments and state heritage services. The facades will be restored to their original appearance, faithful to Guimard’s vision, and the interior decorations will be fully preserved and highlighted.
The museum will tell the story of a visionary architect and designer through an exceptional collection of furniture, decorative objects, archives, and works, assembled by Hector Guimard Diffusion and Le Cercle Guimard, and enriched by loans from private collectors and public and private institutions in France and abroad.
With the contribution of the RATP (the company operating the Paris metro network) , the institution will highlight Guimard’s creative genius through his famous Paris metro entrances, which have become an iconic symbol of the City of Paris. Like the Horta Museum in Brussels or Gaudí’s Casa Battló in Barcelona, Paris will finally have a house-museum dedicated to the architect who has so shaped its image since the beginning of the last century.
Photo F. D.
This project also aims to offer visitors immersive experiences that allow them to immerse themselves in the Art Nouveau atmosphere of the “Belle Epoque” of Paris in 1900 and of the era of the great world fairs.
Finally, it will also offer reissues of works by Hector Guimard, reproduced by French companies and artisans who still possess the relevant expertise, in accordance with the architect’s original desire to see his creations widely distributed.
A bold ambition for Paris and its heritage
This new museum will contribute to Paris’s reputation as the capital of Art Nouveau, alongside Brussels and Barcelona. It will give rise to a new cultural and tourist destination in the 16th arrondissement, focused on modernity.
The Guimard Museum also embodies a new private cultural model, the result of a meeting between a committed entrepreneur and a not-for-profit association passionate about the transmission and promotion of heritage.
This success is also that of all our partners and supporters who are convinced by the project and its value for the community:
Paris
Paris City Council and City of Paris
16th arrondissement municipality
Parisian institutions
Musée d’Orsay
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine
Le Corbusier Foundation
Les Archives de Paris
Regional supporters in France
Town and municipal museum of Saint-Dizier
Villa du Temps Retrouvé in Cabourg
Musée Ecole de Nancy – Villa Majorelle
International supporters
Musée Horta (Brussels)
Cooper Hewitt (New York)
Driehaus Museum (Chicago)
Art Institute of Chicago
Alliance Française de Chicago
Virgina Museum of Fine Art (Richmond)
Our cultural advisors
Beaux-Arts Consulting
Prospective et Patrimoine
Companies supporting the project
RATP
GHM Foundry (artistic castings)
SOFAR (reproductions of lighting fixtures)
Atelier d’Offard (artistic wallpaper)
Educational partners
Hector Guimard Vocational High School in Paris
Campus of Excellence for Arts and Design
Heritage organizations
Heritage Foundation
La Demeure Historique
About FABELSI / Hector Guimard Diffusion
Founded in 2018 by French entrepreneur Fabien Choné, the FABELSI group is active in the energy and built heritage sectors in France. Through its startup studio FABELSI ENERGIES, the group is fully committed to the energy transition for private individuals, with the ambition of becoming a leader in innovation in the energy efficiency market. FABELSI ENERGIES anticipates changing uses by developing smart solutions for more efficient and connected homes: real-time consumption monitoring, remote control of electrical equipment, and the creation of a user-centered digital ecosystem. At the same time, the FABELSI group is committed to preserving and promoting architectural heritage. Its subsidiary 1725 manages the Faisanderie d’Arcueil, a historic building constructed in the 17th century, which Fabien Choné restored and transformed into a reception venue. Finally, Hector Guimard Diffusion works to promote the work of Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard. In partnership with the Le Cercle Guimard association, it is leading the project to create a Guimard museum within the hôtel Mezzara, Guimard’s iconic masterpiece located in Paris’s 16th arrondissement.
About Banque des Territoires
Banque des Territoires is one of the business lines of Caisse des Dépôts. It brings together internal expertise for use by local authorities. As a single point of contact for its clients, it works alongside all local stakeholders: local authorities, local public companies, social housing organizations, legal professionals, businesses, and financial players. It supports them in carrying out their projects of general interest by offering a continuum of solutions: advice, loans, equity investments, deposits, and banking services. By serving all regions, from rural areas to metropolitan areas, Banque des Territoires aims to maximize its impact, particularly in the areas of ecological transformation and social and territorial cohesion. The Banque des Territoires’ 37 local offices ensure that its activities are rolled out across all metropolitan and overseas territories.
Working together to develop greener and more inclusive territories
About Le Cercle Guimard
An association governed by the law of July 1, 1901, created in 2003 and chaired by Nicolas Horiot, DPLG architect, it brings together experts on the architect and decorator Hector Guimard (1867-1942), who work to promote his work. Today, it includes an archive center and a collection of works. Since 2015, the Cercle Guimard has been working on a project to open a museum dedicated to Hector Guimard and Art Nouveau in Paris, within the Hôtel Mezzara.