An old abandoned heritage railway station turned into a museum!

What an idyllic thought when you live in a city where heritage buildings are being torn down mercilessly every day. That’s where developed nations differ from developing ones, they know how to renovate heritage spaces to showcase heritage, art and culture and turn it into an profitable venture.

Musee d’ Orsay has a very interesting history. It was built as a station for the fifth Universal Exhibition held in 1900. So in a way the station itself was an exhibit before it became a railway station and then transformed again into space to exhibit art. But this transformation and renovation was not easy. France too had a phase where development took precedent over renovation. This extraordinary station almost came close to be demolished to make way for an international hotel. But dramatic turn of events stalled the demolition and after toying with various ideas, it was decided to turn it into a grand museum. And what a magnificent museum it is! Do click here to know more about how the museum was renovated and restored from it’s past glory to the present.

Situated on the left bank of Seine, Musee d’ Orsay is one of the famous museums of Paris which houses original collections of Rodin, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Picasso, Monet and Manet and many many more artists, painters, sculptors, photographers and others who revolutionized all forms of art. The magnificent collection could have only been housed in an old beautiful arched railway station. Here are the few photographs of my visit to this fabulous museum.