Museum
Report on the 2025 European Heritage Days: a great turnout for the Institut Pasteur's dialog between science and architecture
Over the weekend of September 20 and 21, 2025, from 2 to 6pm, the Institut Pasteur opened its doors for the European Heritage Days, for the second year running. Inspired by last year's success, the Institut Pasteur put on a packed program centered on architectural heritage, the theme of this 42nd edition, and also art and science.
A strong Institut Pasteur team to welcome the crowds of visitors
A total of 31 Institut Pasteur staff volunteered to help at the event. The two half-days attracted 1,150 visitors, 12% more than last year.
Most of the visitors were families and residents living in Greater Paris: 44% were from Paris, with 19% from the 15th arrondissement. 95% were visiting the Institut Pasteur for the first time.
A dialog between science and architecture on campus
For this 2025 edition, the Institut Pasteur highlighted the links between heritage and science, reflecting the theme for this year set by the Ministry of Culture: "Architectural heritage." Visitors were free to explore at their own pace, guided by a commentary, working their way from the historical building – visible from the other side of rue du Docteur Roux – to the most recent building at 28 rue du Docteur Roux, the OMICS building, while also learning about the Institut Pasteur's history and missions.
Xavier Lagneau and Mélanie Pitton from the firm LAGNEAU architectes, as well as Laurence Dreux from AFE architecture, joint coordinators of the project, gave a presentation in the François Jacob building auditorium about the challenges of the project to restore and renovate the historical building at a round table led by Laurence Isnard, Head of the Museum.
A theater and dance production entitled "The Republic of Microbes," exploring hygienist architecture, the body and microbes, was put on by Gösta Strang and Alessandro Livraghi in partnership with the Fondation du Patrimoine, in the hall of the Scientific Information Center (CIS).
Volunteers from the Fondation du Patrimoine also spoke about the project to restore Louis and Marie Pasteur's apartment and the online fundraising campaign, which you can find here.
Seeing science differently with two artistic creations
The weekend's program also included two artistic collaborations:
- “Where is the soul?”, a series of 24 watercolors by Aline Zalko based on discussions with Aleksandra Deczkowska, Head of the Brain-Immune Communication five-year group. The work was exhibited in the CIS, and Aleksandra and Aline were present in person on Sunday September 21, World Alzheimer's Day, to foster lively discussions with the public, who were fascinated by the Institut Pasteur's neuroscience research.
- Tours of the Destiny project, which developed out of a collaboration between Germano Cecere, Head of the Mechanisms of Epigenetic Inheritance Unit, and artist Arianna Carossa, also included a unique chance to visit Germano's laboratory (in English).
The Involve team also took the opportunity of the Heritage Days to introduce visitors to the participatory research carried out at the Institut Pasteur. The event led to some wonderful encounters, stirring the public's curiosity to find out more about the Institut Pasteur, and gave enthusiastic Institut Pasteur staff the opportunity to raise awareness and interest in science.
See the video of the event
All in all, it was a resounding success that the museum hopes to repeat in 2026!
