Daniel Buren
Les Deux Plateaux
- Daniel Buren
JULIE SILBERMANN Les Deux Plateaux by French artist Daniel Buren at Palais Royal is my favorite place in Paris – it’s beautiful the way it seamlessly blends classical architecture with bold, modern geometry. Its black-and-white striped columns in different heights create a playful yet elegant environment. Also don’t miss all the benches nearby with French philosophers’ quotes.
The story behind
Les Deux Plateaux (1985–86), better known as the Colonnes de Buren, is a site-specific installation by French artist Daniel Buren in the Cour d’Honneur of the Palais Royal in Paris. Commissioned by Culture Minister Jack Lang under President François Mitterrand, it consists of 260 black-and-white striped marble columns of varying heights arranged in a grid across 3,000 m². The work plays on two levels—an upper courtyard plane and a hidden, subterranean plateau with water and light—creating a dialogue between visible history and concealed infrastructure. At its unveiling, it provoked outrage for placing bold contemporary art within a revered 17th-century monument, sparking parliamentary debates and public protests. Over time, however, it has become a beloved Paris landmark, inviting play, photography, and reflection, symbolizing the encounter between classical heritage and modern artistic vision.
Photo-souvenir: Daniel Buren, Les Deux Plateaux, sculpture in situ, cour d’honneur du Palais-Royal, Paris, 1985-1986. Détail. © DB-ADAGP Paris 2025
Photo courtesy the artist and Buchmann Galerie
