Billionaire François Pinault fulfils Paris art gallery dream

Contemporary collection finds home in former grain exchange 16 years after plan for Seine island failed

For 20 years, the French billionaire Francois Pinault has dreamed of opening a museum to display his renowned contemporary art collection in Paris.

The original plan was to build a massive concrete and glass structure on an abandoned island in the River Seine three miles from the Eiffel Tower. When that sparked planning and legal rows and proved impossible, the tycoon moved his collection to Venice, where it seemed destined to remain.