Reconstruction of Palazzo Grassi by Tadao Ando

On April 30, 2006, the Venetian Palazzo Grassi was reopened. The 18th-century palace has passed through the hands of many owners, each leaving their mark on the building. The current owner, François Pinault, purchased the palace for 29 million euros from the Italian car manufacturer Fiat and enlisted architect Tadao Ando to create the interiors of forty exhibition halls covering a total area of around 5000 m². French entrepreneur (notably controlling the fashion brand Gucci or YSL) and contemporary art collector François Pinault originally wanted to exhibit his collection in a new museum on the Parisian island of Ile Seguin. Tadao Ando also won the competition for the new Paris museum, but after several disputes, the architect left the project, and later, Pinault (one of the patrons) moved his collection to Venice. Info>