MEP – Maison Européenne de la Photographie

You are arriving at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, a premier institution for contemporary photography that has stood in the heart of the Marais district since 1996. While the museum is celebrated as a modern temple for the lens, it is housed within the Hôtel Hénault de Cantobre, a stately private mansion originally constructed in 1706. The building itself serves as a bridge between centuries, as architect Yves Lion was tasked with the delicate challenge of restoring the classical eighteenth-century structure while integrating a new, modern wing. This fusion of old and new allows the institution to hold its extensive collection of over 20,000 photographic prints and multimedia works within a space that retains the character of a historic Parisian residence.