Bibliothèque Forney, Decorative arts library in Le Marais, France
The Bibliothèque Forney is a special library in Paris dedicated to decorative arts collections, housed in the Renaissance building Hôtel de Sens. The structure displays medieval architectural features with stone towers and gothic details, holding roughly 200000 documents on textiles, wallpapers, posters, and design objects.
The library was founded in 1886 through the bequest of art collector Aimé-Samuel Forney, based on his private collection. In 1961 it relocated to the restored Hôtel de Sens building after extensive renovations prepared the structure for public use.
The library is named after the art collector Aimé-Samuel Forney, whose passion for decorative arts shaped its purpose. Today visitors and specialists come to examine textiles, posters, and design objects that document French craftsmanship and design traditions.
The visit works best on a weekday when the reading spaces are less crowded and you can browse the collections at your own pace. The building sits in the Marais district near the Seine and is easily reachable on foot from several metro stations, though visitor seating is limited.
The building itself served as a palace for the Archbishops of Sens centuries ago, making it far more than just a library structure. The gothic walls and stairs where historical figures once walked add a singular character to the experience of studying design objects and historical textiles.
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