École des beaux-arts Nantes Saint-Nazaire – Nantes Université

8,500 m² (91,500 ft²) of Alstom’s former industrial warehouses were renovated by architect Franklin Azzi in 2017 to become Nantes’s fine arts school – 4,300 m² (46,300 ft²) of which contain workshops dedicated to research and experimentation in all areas of the visual arts: construction studios, as well as image and print centres for nearly 500 students (30% of whom are international) and the 1,000 students enrolled in courses that are open to the public.

Les Beaux-Arts de Nantes Saint-Nazaire is a higher education institution spread over two sites, and has been affiliated with Nantes Université since 2022. It trains students in contemporary creativity and offers two degrees: the Diplôme national d’art and the Diplôme national supérieur d’expression plastique.

The Fine Arts school offers a wide range of artistic activities. The “Open School” brings together a gallery, a café, an art collection, a programme of cultural events, and amateur art classes, all of which is open to the public. Anyone can come visit an exhibition, work in the library, attend a lecture, have a coffee on the outdoor terrace, take an art class, or even borrow a work of art!