THE NATIONAL DESIGN GALLERY OPENS IN SAINT-ÉTIENNE
A first for France, bringing greater visibility to Saint-Étienne, the country’s only UNESCO Creative City of Design.
Its industrial heritage has long tied the city closely to craftsmanship and innovation — and to design too, through ESADSE and the Saint-Étienne International Design Biennale, founded more than twenty years ago. The opening last June of the Galerie nationale du design, within the Cité du design, marks a new milestone: the creation of a unique venue dedicated to public design collections.
The Galerie nationale du design was established precisely to showcase these collections, as well as those of other public cultural institutions. Among them are the Centre Pompidou, the Cnap, the Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design de Bordeaux, the Frac Grand Large – Hauts-de-France, as well as the Mobilier national, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée de la Ville de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
From the second half of the 20th century onwards, design gradually became more structured in France thanks to proactive policies of acquisition, public commissioning and conservation led by the French State and museums. The creation of a dedicated showcase for France’s national design heritage builds on this momentum.
Le Seuil serves as a welcoming reception area, furnished by a selection of partner manufacturers and design publishers, including Ligne Roset, Moustache, Petite Friture, Knoll, Vitra, Source Edition and Sammode.
