Le Bateau-Lavoir

Le Bateau-Lavoir sits on the cobblestones of Place Émile Goudeau, distinguished by its simple, understated facade and the horse chestnut trees that line the small square. Originally built as a piano factory and ballroom, the structure was divided into twenty small, unheated artist studios in eighteen eighty-nine. Its nickname, which translates to The Laundry Boat, was coined by the poet Max Jacob because the building was dark, cramped, and prone to creaking and swaying during heavy storms, much like the laundry boats anchored along the Seine.