Snøhetta
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Snøhetta launches Le Monde HQ Sketchbooks

An artistic perspective on architecture and urban transformation

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Le Monde's headquarters in Paris, Snøhetta has released the Le Monde HQ Sketchbooks, an artistic documentation of the building's construction by French artist Frédéric Chaume.

Between 2017 and 2020, Chaume visited the site over 250 times, capturing the building's evolution through a series of hand-drawn sketches and engravings. His work offers a unique, artistic perspective on the construction process, highlighting moments rich in human activity and urban transformation.

The book features a curated selection of 232 artworks and was designed and published by Snøhetta Books to commemorate the building's milestone. It reflects the vision of Le Monde's chairman of the board, Pierre Bergé, who emphasized the importance of preserving the project's cultural legacy beyond mere technical documentation.

Designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with SRA Architectes, the headquarters was completed in 2020 and united 1,600 employees of the Le Monde Group. The building's arch-shaped structure, open public plaza, and semi-transparent façade embody a commitment to openness and civic engagement.

Photos by OiOiOi

Chaume's artistic process unfolded in two phases: on-site sketching using black chalk, charcoal, and watercolor, followed by studio work involving copper engravings and detailed drawings. Final prints were produced in collaboration with Les Ateliers Moret, a renowned Parisian intaglio workshop.

The book is enriched by poems from Lamiya Shirvanzada, an introduction by Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, and essays by architect and historian Jean-Louis Cohen and Aedes Architecture Forum director Kristin Feireiss, offering deeper insight into the project's artistic and architectural significance.

Le Monde HQ Sketchbooks stands as a testament to the power of art in preserving architectural heritage and invites readers to experience the poetic dialogue between space, time, and human endeavor.

Frédéric Chaume’s drawings, created day by day—spring, summer, autumn, winter—offer more than documentation; they are perceptions of moments and an artistic interpretation of the building before it’s born. This analog process mirrors the construction itself, revealing the emotional and evolving layers of architecture in a way photography simply can’t.

​​ Kjetil Trædal Thorsen ​ Founding Partner and Architect, Snøhetta

Kjetil Trædal Thorsen and Frédéric Chaume at Les Ateliers Moret in Paris.

Photo: OiOiOi / Snøhetta

Retailers

The book is on sale in France through Boutique Le Monde and in Norway and Scandinavia through bookstores such as Adlibris and Ark.

Le Monde HQ Sketchbooks exhibition

Chaume’s work is also featured in an ongoing exhibition at Snøhetta’s Archive Gallery at Akershusstranda 21 in Oslo. Here, visitors can view original sketchbooks and prints, as well as a documentary film with interviews featuring Chaume, Le Monde’s CEO Louis Dreyfus, and Kjetil Trædal Thorsen.

In the gallery’s basement, the exhibition continues with models, drawings, Le Monde’s signage system, photographs, and interviews that offer further insight into Snøhetta’s work on the project. The exhibition also includes hundreds of models from other projects, providing a unique glimpse into Snøhetta’s extensive archive and history.

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