Nearly ten years have passed since the Fondation Louis Vuitton opened its beautiful gallery in the Bois de Boulogne. I have been meaning to visit for almost as long. An opportunity arose recently when I was in Paris for the Olympics, so I hopped on the subway to Les Sablons one sunny Sunday morning, having purchased the obligatory ticket for timed entry. The building, designed by Frank Gehry, is next to Le Jardin d’Acclimatation and no more than a 10-minute walk from the metro station.

Two exhibitions offered further incentives for me to visit (Matisse: The Red Studio and Ellsworth Kelly: Shapes and Colors), but the building itself and the permanent collections make the trip worthwhile in themselves. The space is magnificent, filled with light and movement, imposing and spectacular but never overshadowing the works inside. It is simply unmissable for anyone who appreciates contemporary architecture and is surely one of the great public buildings of the 21st century.

After leaving the gallery, wander into Le Jardin. After all that high-minded art and architecture, don’t miss lunch at La Terrasse.