Palais de la Découverte Project, Paris, France (Longitudinal section)
Oscar Nitzchke
American, born Germany. 1900–1991
Frantz Jourdain
French, 1847–1935
Paul Nelson
American, 1895–1979
1938
A detailed longitudinal section—rendered in ink, graphite, and colored pencil on paper mounted on board—proposing Paul Nelson’s 1938 design for the Palais de la Découverte to reveal the building’s internal organization and the visitor experience.
The image reads like a theatrical slice of a machine: crisp drafting lines and soft color accents cut through lofty exhibition halls, ramps, stairs, and tiny human figures so you immediately perceive light, movement, and scale.
This drawing exemplifies modernist architectural representation that treats the section as a storytelling device—bridging technical precision and theatrical presentation to shape how museums and public science were designed and experienced.
Medium
Ink, graphite, and color pencil on paper, mounted on board
Dimensions
14 3/4 x 37 3/4 x 1/2" (37.5 x 95.9 x 1.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the architects
Accession
96.2013
Art Terms
Exhibitions
