Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie

The Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie, also known as the Centre Michelet, is a building of red brick and reinforced concrete that stands out for its eclectic style, blending influences from Italian, Roman, and Islamic architecture. You can identify the structure by the series of terracotta bas-reliefs circling its base, which feature reproductions of famous artworks like the Parthenon and the Ara Pacis. Built between nineteen twenty-five and nineteen twenty-eight by architect Paul Bigot, it was initially designed as a specialized laboratory for art research, funded by a significant donation from the marquise Arconati-Visconti.