Place des Terreaux is Lyon’s nose in the middle. It could hardly be more central. With such prestigious neighbors as the Hôtel de Ville, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Opéra and the Bartholdi fountain, you’d think this other tenant of the place would be just as illustrious and well-known! But what’s behind that door? We’re sure that by reading these lines, you’ll learn a little more about Lyon’s other secret gem, the Galerie des Terreaux!
The Galerie des Terreaux, a “passing strip” like no other
The gallery, part of the vast building known as “le massif des Terreaux”, opened in 1858, during the Second Empire boom in Lyon. At the time, silk accounted for three quarters of the local industry, making Lyon the world capital of the sector. Initially christened “le passage des Terreaux”, the area was used as a transit point between the quays of the Saône and the square, the nerve center of the era.
The area was gradually transformed and, after the war, became a shopping mall in 1947, under the impetus of the BHV. In the 70s and 80s, the Galerie des Terreaux attempted to transform itself into a shopping mall, but due to a lack of agreement between the building’s inhabitants and the various owners, the project never really saw the light of day. In 1996, the site was closed, and never got a second wind, despite the new millennium. The site would only open occasionally for special occasions, such as the aiRT de famille festival in 2024.
It wasn’t until over twenty years later that the city of Lyon became the sole owner of the 1200 m² site, allowing us (at last!) to glimpse its renewal.
A Cité des artisans réparateurs planned for 2028
Today, work is underway to enable the opening of a third place focused onupcycling (understand circular economy). The aim? To raise the awareness of Lyon’s residents in order to diversify their consumption habits, while promoting reuse. Workshops, offices and galleries are planned for this vast complex.
The first phase of work has just been completed, and should be followed by several others during 2026 and 2027. The gallery, which was inaugurated 170 years ago, has not yet said its last word and, if the mission of its future occupants is anything to go by, is not about to…