Submitted on 14 August 2015
Getting Back to the Original Decor
In 2001, the present curator Rodolphe Rapetti, drew attention to the important historical value of the exceptional building that houses the Jean-Jacques Henner museum. He suggested the then director of French museums Francine Mariani-Ducra to reviewing the project while refurbishing the ground floor. This slowly gave rise to the idea of changing the winter garden into an area which could be used for receptions and cultural events by reconverting it into a nineteenth century interior garden.
A painstaking task
The huge project to renovate the winter garden got underway in 2014 to 2015 with the replacement of the glass roof and restoration of the original floor surface. The Arnaud Pereira Company was commissioned to restore the mosaic which had been damaged by time, by the installation of under floor heating at the start of the twentieth century and by the latest stonework during the installation of the new roof. This extremely delicate job, which required huge patience, was undertaken by Pereira and his team in June this year. And the result is incredible. Cracks and holes have disappeared as if by magic and the mosaic has been restored to its original splendour.
