Pierre Paulin's restored Élysée smoking room to debut at Musée Fabre

After 50 years in storage, Pierre Paulin's 1972 smoking room for the Élysée Palace has been restored by the Mobilier national workshops. The project began in 2023 and was completed in 2026. The piece, a self-supporting tubular structure covered in beige fabric, was originally commissioned by Georges and Claude Pompidou in 1969. It was removed in 1974 when Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became president. The restoration involved repairing oxidized metal, replacing damaged fabric, and making the structure demountable for travel. Kvadrat supplied the inner jersey textile, while Maison Lesage recreated the coffee-grain patterned wool. The smoking room will be exhibited at Musée Fabre in Montpellier from June 27 to November 1, 2026, then travel to other venues.