An Architectural Curiosity Near Parc Monceau
Bright red, the building standing at the corner of Rue de Courcelles and Rue Rembrandt unfolds its curved, pointed roofs within the Haussmannian landscape surrounding the very chic Parc Monceau.
We owe this architectural curiosity of the Roaring Twenties to Ching-Tsai Loo. In 1922, he purchased the Haussmann-style building, which he transformed into a pagoda in 1928.
The façade was repainted red, and overhanging roofs typical of Chinese pagodas were added. The “Maison Loo” became a museum housing his personal collections until his death in 1957.
A Home for Chinese Art in Paris
The transformation was carried out under architect Fernand Bloch. Loo used the building to house Galerie C.T. Loo & Cie, and it became one of the main venues in Paris for showing and dealing in Chinese antiquities, at a time when French collectors were developing a growing taste for Chinese art. The building still holds Loo’s private library and archives related to Asian art.
Visiting Today
Commonly known as the “Pagoda of Paris,” the building remained in the Loo family until 2011. It now occasionally hosts private events and Asian art exhibitions, though it is not a public museum with regular opening hours.