On the occasion of Sotheby’s first Surrealism auction held in Paris, the wish was expressed to create a memorable experience for visitors, clients and online bidders.

The Galerie Charpentier is a Parisian landmark with the main exhibition hall in a former (glass roof covered) courtyard, square in shape. Studio Razavi's objective was to create a space within this space with an expressed economy of means. Their design, an “open” cruciform plan which doubles the existing wall surfaces, offers multiple perspectives and a variety of circulation possibilities, while relying on its monolithic nature to both be stable and provide a sense of mass.

The freestanding partitions are carved open in the center to allow Magritte’s La Joconde to become a focal point of the exhibition from which one can walk around the galleries.