The Vendôme Column is a monument dedicated to the Grande Armée, inaugurated in 1810 on the Place Vendôme (Paris). It was designed by Lepère and Gondoin and was first called the 'Austerlitz Column' (commemorating the eponymous battle), then the 'Victory Column', finally becoming the 'Colonne de la Grande Armée'. It was demolished by the Central Committee of the Paris Commune in retaliation to imperialism. The column was subsequently restored and re-erected in 1873.
The Mound of Vendôme is an exhibition and a research project by David Gissen, in the Octagonal gallery at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, which revisits the history of this iconic monument and focuses on the consequences of its destruction on the urban landscape. The exhibition features images of the square before and after the destruction of the column as well as objects from the CCA's collection; including drawings, models and maps among others.
Langue(s) : French, English