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Court reverses decision on French architect Jean Nouvel's lawsuit against the Philharmonie de Paris

Court reverses decision on French architect Jean Nouvel's lawsuit against the Philharmonie de Paris

Celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel lost a court case in which he sued the Philharmonie de Paris for removal of his name from the project due to major deviations from his original design. The court, which ruled in his favor on April 16 pending “additional detailed and comparative information,” reversed its decision hours later.

The jury alleges that Nouvel failed to provide incriminating documentation to justify his claim that 26 parts of the 2,400-seat auditorium, whose January 15 inauguration he boycotted, had strayed from his design. These key elements include parapets, foyers, facades, promenades, and acoustic elements of the performance hall.

The court said the documents he provided “do not allow the court to assess the work asked for in its definitive state, both globally and in detail,” and the court was thus unable to rule whether the work had been “adulterated.” Nouvel also sued on the grounds that his firm, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, was not liable for the nearly doubled costs due to delays and allegedly radical departure from the design proposal.


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