I pyramid, commissioned

Why go? The godfather of avant-garde architecture, Le Corbusier built this masterpiece on stilts in Poissy in 1931 to allow the Savoye family to park their cars. However, a few years later, problems ensued: there were leaks, and the former Simca car company threatened to destroy it. But it survived and retains all its original splendour (now deemed worthy of UNESCO World Heritage status).

Why go? The MU collective has made the most of this old coal station’s architectural quirks and turned it into an events space reminiscent of underground Berlin. Explore its three rooms, an outdoor stage, and two indoor stages, playing everything from hardcore punk to pure techno.

Why go? A former iron foundry, this building remained empty for nearly two decades until Culturespaces decided to launch the city’s first digital art centre. Its goal? To give the works the attention they deserve by projecting them across the ten-metre-high walls using first-rate equipment, including 140 film projectors with BARCO lasers and 50 state-of-the-art Nexo speakers.

Why go? A historic flytrap for Parisian cinephiles, the 5th and 6th arrondissements are still full of independent cinemas, most notably Le Champo on Rue des Écoles, where many of the Nouvelle Vague directors hung about in the ’50s and ’60s.

Why go? This historic Parisian market takes its name from the Enfants Rouges (Red Children) orphanage, which was built in the 16th century and closed down just before the revolution. It’s also one of the Marais’s most iconic buildings. Saturdays are when the market is at its liveliest, but you’ll have a hard time choosing between the different stalls: Moroccan, Italian, Lebanese, or a refined blowout at the Enfants du Marché. Try it all if you can.

Why go? Comprising 4,500 square metres of indoor space and 1,500 square metres of open-air terraces, Ground Control offers a vision of sustainable consumption. Expect street food stalls, bars, grocery stores, shops, yoga workshops, pilates, Reiki... it’s every bobo’s dream.

What is it? Opened in 1921 and once a temple of silent cinema, the Egyptian-inspired art-deco Louxor fell on hard times after the Second World War and became a drug den, club and gay disco before being abandoned for 25 years. It re-opened triumphantly as a cinema in April 2013.

Why go? In a light-filled building at the end of a courtyard on the Rue Beaumarchais, Merci brings together a collection of major stylists and designers, from Isabel Marant to Stella McCartney. There’s also an array of luxury stationery, homeware and accessories. It’s hard to know where to look.

Why go? If you like to be surprised and transported to far-flung idylls with every bite, Septime’s your place. Expect sublime ingredients, perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Why go? Behind Richard Rogers’ and Renzo Piano’s piping and air ducts lies one of the richest collections of modern art in the world. Step inside the Centre Pompidou to fall under the spell of Picasso, Magritte, Duchamp, Po***ck, Warhol and Tinguely.