by Sidra Stich

In art-SITES France, one in a series of travel books, art historian and travel writer Sidra Stich explains the art and architecture of the places she visits in a way no conventional travel book does. Here is her view of a few notable buildings in Paris and the provinces.

Palais des Droits de l'Homme, 1989-95

Richard Rogers, the architect who designed Centre Pompidou with Renzo Piano, has once again created a creatively eccentric, high-tech building. But here the industrial aesthetic is not as brash; color articulation is limited to red accents; and priority is given to a geometry of cylinders and curves. This is late-20th-century design, steeped in advanced technology and architectural prowess though tempered by a quotient of dazzling grace and refinement.

The building (housing the Human Rights Center of the European Community in Strasbourg), a monumental structure wrapping around a corner plot of land, is composed of various distinct units.

This article is excerpted from Art-SITES France by Sidra Stich, with permission of the publisher, art-SITES Press.

Palais des Droits de l'Homme in Strasbourg, France by Richard Rogers. Photo: Sidra Stich Bus Stop by Philippe Starck, inspired by the crocodile — the city symbol of Nīmes. Photo: Sidra Stich   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.