Good news for urban culture fans. The department of Seine-Saint-Denis is soon to be home to a major museum dedicated to French street art and hip hop. The name? L'Aérosol Saint-Denis. And it's to be built on the 6-hectare site of the famous " Cathedrals of Rail " in the 93 district.
Disused for the past 24 years, these huge 8400 m² railway halls are to be rehabilitated. At the time, these impressive sheds were used for SNCF train maintenance. Since 2004, these halls have been listed on the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. The " Cathedrals of the Railways " will soon be home to a museum devoted entirely to French street art and hip hop!
This follows a call for projects launched in 2021 by SNCF Immobilier, in partnership with the City of Saint-Denis and Plaine Commune. Recently, Eiffage Aménagement and Equans France were chosen as the winners of this renovation project. This ambitious, large-scale project includes the construction of a new eco-neighborhood and the creation of a museum, " l'Aérosol Saint-Denis", all on a 6-hectare railway wasteland.
The museum will be supported by Hip Hop Citoyens and Maquis-Art, who were already behind the ephemeral "L'Aérosol" spot that opened in 2017 in Paris's 18th arrondissement.
The ambition of " L'Aérosol Saint-Denis "? "To be the spearhead of a network in France, with satellites in other cities such as Marseille (the 2nd Hip Hop capital in France, and a former European Capital of Culture), in order to expand internationally with the various museums already present, such as those in Amsterdam, Berlin, Saint Petersburg and, soon, New York," explains a press release issued by the SNCF on January 24, 2023.
Thanks to the incredible volumes of the two Cathedrals (19 meters high ceilings) and the industrial architecture, " l'Aérosol Saint-Denis " will offer "an unprecedented showcase for works of art ". What about programming? The museum, dedicated to street art and hip hop, plans to offer a wide range of cultural events, including exhibitions, public events and private tours.
" The Cathedrals of the Railways are a heritage site today, and will be a formidable embodiment tomorrow of the transformation of an industrial past into a project for cities united around cultural issues, resilience and outreach. The city of Saint-Denis and the Plaine Commune area will continue to embody hip-hop culture and to be the center of gravity for urban cultures," stated Mathieu Hanotin, Mayor of Saint-Denis and President of Plaine Commune, in the same press release.
So, are you looking forward to pushing open the doors of this huge museum dedicated to street art and hip hop? There's no word yet on the opening date, but there's no doubt that this future Francilian cultural venue on the site of the " Cathédrales du rail " in Saint-Denis will be the talk of the town.
