Last summer, as the Centre Pompidou prepared to close its doors for renovation, Studio Ossidiana began imagining a nomadic embassy for the museum – a place where its spirit could travel. The answer materialized not in brick and mortar, but in supple folds of fabric. Studio Ossidiana, the Rotterdam-based design practice, has conceived a remarkable nomadic embassy for the museum – the Soft Palace, a central component of the ambitious Fun Palace Installation now inhabiting the prestigious Salon d’Honneur within Paris’s iconic Grand Palais.
Envisioned as a “soft palace” and a dynamic “address for assemblies,” this groundbreaking project transcends conventional exhibition design. It’s a vast, walkable landscape crafted entirely from textiles. Imagine an immense carpet, artfully folded, rolled, and sculpted into a gigantic, inhabitable garment.
This is the essence of Studio Ossidiana’s immersive architecture. Visitors are invited to step onto its undulating surface, shed their shoes, and experience the space intimately – barefoot. You can lounge, sit, stroll, or even discover moments of solitude within its sheltered pockets and creases, mere steps away from the buzz of public gatherings.
The Soft Palace is inherently democratic and participatory. Its fluid, textile-based form means that “any place can become the stage for an assembly, an event, or a performance.” Studio Ossidiana hopes every visitor becomes both “actor and spectator” in the unfolding, collective choreography of daily life within this unique Paris art installation. It embodies the spirit of the broader Fun Palace initiative – a concept echoing Cedric Price’s radical 1960s vision for a dynamic cultural centre – realized here through a collaboration between Centre Pompidou x GrandPalaisRmn.
This textile architecture serves as more than just a platform; it actively hosts curated experiences. Nestled within its folds is artist Alice Bucknell’s captivating video game “Nightcrawlers”, offering a digital layer to the physical environment. Furthermore, a discerning selection of iconic design pieces from the Centre Pompidou’s collection, curated by Olivier Zeitoun and Marie-Ange Brayer, finds a new, unconventional home within the Soft Palace’s pliable realm.
Developed in collaboration with philosopher Emanuele Coccia and curated by Jean-Max Colard, Joséphine Huppert, and Alice Pialoux, the Fun Palace represents a significant cultural collaboration. This co-production of the Centre Pompidou and GrandPalaisRmn, with the crucial support of the Chanel Culture Fund, demonstrates a commitment to innovative, accessible art experiences. Studio Ossidiana’s Soft Palace stands as its tactile, inviting heart – a testament to the power of soft materials to create hard-hitting, participatory design experiences. It’s a place to gather, play, contemplate, connect, and rediscover the joy of shared space, proving that the most compelling palaces aren’t always built of stone.