Viaduc des arts, Railway viaduct in 12th arrondissement, France
The Viaduc des Arts is a 19th-century railway viaduct on Avenue Daumesnil, built of pink brick and stone with about sixty arches 10 meters high. Each vault is closed by large curved glass walls and houses an artisan workshop or shop. A moulded stone cornice with dentils runs below the parapet.
The structure was built in 1859 for a railway line and served train traffic until 1969. In 1994, architect Patrick Berger transformed the abandoned viaduct into the arts complex it is today.
The workshops here showcase artisans practicing traditional crafts like ceramics, leatherwork, and instrument making directly in their spaces. Visitors can watch them work and understand how these skills are kept alive today.
Visitors can walk freely through the workshops during the day and watch craftspeople at their work. The upper path is level and easy to explore on foot, while the lower workshops are accessible directly from the street.
The upper level is part of a green pedestrian path with trees and planting that stretches from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. This elevated route offers an unexpected view of the city and links the arts complex to a broader park network.
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