The CCCOD: living art in the heart of Tours

The CCCOD, a showcase for contemporary art

Exhibition spaces not to be missed

The nave, a monumental showcase

Enter this grandiose 11-metre-high space where monumental works come to life. The four bay windows open up a permanent dialogue between art and the city, making the exhibitions visible 24 hours a day.
Discover the spectacular installations that follow one another in this exceptional volume. has already hosted a number of major installations, including Chambre d’Huile (Per Barclay), Instrumentarium (Klaus Rinke), Cactus Painting (Ghada Amer), The resting thought (Alicja Kwade) and Ad Minoliti, Play Theater.
A rich mediation programme accompanies your discovery: guided tours, meetings with artists and performances make the nave vibrate to the rhythm of contemporary creation.

Visit the CCCOD

In this beautiful space that is the Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré, the works of several artists coexist and question visitors. Figurative, aesthetic and militant work, paintings, installations and videos… the eclecticism of forms takes visitors on a surprising and stimulating artistic journey!

centre de création contemporaine Olivier Debré in Tours — ©centre de créationcontemporaine Olivier Debré à Tours|ADT Touraine - JC Coutand

The white galleries

On the first floor, the vast white galleries provide a refined setting for major works. These modular 300m² spaces host the boldest artistic dialogues, where contemporary abstraction meets the creations of Olivier Debré.
Admire the group exhibitions that regularly transform these immaculate volumes. The displays change with the seasons, creating new conversations between emerging artists and the historic works in the collection.
The four Zenith shafts bathe the works in perfectly controlled natural light, sublimating every detail of the installations. A place where today’s creative work comes into its own, in a silence conducive to contemplation.

The transparent pavilion

Watch the architectural feat on the ground floor, a veritable link between the street and art. This crystalline envelope houses exhibitions visible day and night from the public space, transforming the boundary between inside and outside into a unique artistic experience.
The transparency of the pavilion creates a fascinating play with the city’s reflections, while the works seem to float in this space with its blurred boundaries. Artists make this unique space their own, creating installations that transform our perception of urban space.
Exhibitions follow the rhythm of the seasons, offering passers-by and visitors alike an artistic interlude accessible to all. It’s a space where contemporary art breaks free from the walls to engage in a more meaningful dialogue with the life of the city.

The museums in Tours

An ambitious programme

The CCCOD benefits from the Olivier Debré donation, consisting of large paintings, a selection of one hundred and fifty graphic works as well as one hundred and forty other paintings, as part of a permanent loan. Although the Loire was one of the artist’s favourite subjects, Olivier Debré often travelled to and painted in Norway: “A Journey to Norway” was the first exhibition at the Centre de Création Contemporaine, in 2017. He was succeeded by Klaus Rinke, Fabien Verschaere, Marie-Anita Gaube, and many others.

Your visit to the heart of the Jardin François 1er

The restaurant, an artistic gourmet break

On the first floor, Café de Paula welcomes you in a bright atmosphere where gastronomy dialogues with art. Its speciality? Architecturally shaped waffles inspired by the clean lines of the building, available in savoury and sweet versions to suit your tastes.

Between exhibitions, enjoy a gourmet break facing the picture windows that open onto the François 1er garden. The menu changes with the seasons, showcasing local produce in original creations that echo the works on display.

In the afternoons, the venue transforms into a refined tea room where you can enjoy homemade pastries and artisanal drinks, served by a passionate team who cultivate the art of hospitality.

The specialist bookshop

Dive into the captivating world of art publishing on the ground floor of the CCCOD. Between the carefully arranged shelves, our passionate bookseller guides you to rare works, exhibition catalogues and cutting-edge art publications.

Flick through the latest publications devoted to the artists on show, explore the fine photo books or be surprised by our selection of specialist magazines. For each exhibition, a dedicated area brings together a unique collection of books that resonate with the works on display.

Take time to settle into our reading corner bathed in natural light. Signing sessions and meetings with artists regularly enliven this lively space, where a passion for art books is shared in a convivial atmosphere.

Olivier Debré’s precious legacy

Monumental works dialogue with temporary exhibitions, creating a unique experience where past and present meet in a striking artistic ballet.

Take time out for a break in the café-restaurant to extend your immersion in this internationally renowned venue.

Site dedicated to contemporary art

In the heart of Rue Nationale, the CCCOD is establishing itself as a major artistic reference. Immerse yourself in an ambitious programme of exhibitions where emerging talent and established artists rub shoulders in spaces designed by the Aires Mateus agency.

There are plenty of opportunities to meet with contemporary artists: performances, artists’ meetings and participatory workshops enliven this lively venue supported by the city of Tours.

Each season brings its share of international discoveries, making the CCCOD an essential crossroads for contemporary art in the Loire Valley.

What is contemporary art at the CCCOD?

Experience the creative force that drives this unique venue where art reinvents itself every day. The CCCOD offers you up to ten exhibitions a year, combining daring installations, surprising performances and monumental works. Passionate mediators accompany you on your discovery, helping you to decode the artistic approaches that question our times.

A mobile application enhances your tour, while participatory workshops invite you to experience contemporary creation for yourself. Videos, paintings, sculptures or digital art: each visit becomes a sensory adventure where your gaze is transformed by contact with the works.

Architecture to dream about

Aires Mateus: Portuguese genius

Let yourself be surprised by the audacity of brothers Manuel and Francisco Aires Mateus, Portuguese masters of architectural purity. Their first French project rises like a monolith of white stone, floating on a base of transparent glass.

In this sculptural 4500 m² volume, admire the architects’ unique signature: generous spaces bathed in natural light, subtle transitions between inside and outside. The volumes flow seamlessly into one another, creating a spatial choreography in which each work naturally finds its place.

Light as a noble material

Contemplate the subtle interplay of natural rays that sneak through strategically thought-out openings. In the white gallery, four skylights diffuse a soft, even light over the works, creating an almost meditative atmosphere. Reflections multiply on the immaculate walls, transforming each space into a living composition.

The transparent base on the ground floor captures the changing luminosity of the seasons, while the upper volumes play with cast shadows. A technical feat that makes the CCCOD a veritable optical instrument where light becomes a precious material, sculpting the space as the hours pass.

A dialogue with Tours’ heritage

Walk around the area surrounding the CCCOD, where the contemporary building blends harmoniously into the historic quarter. Its Tercé stone façade contrasts with the soft shades of the tufa stone of the neighbouring buildings. The streamlined volume creates a striking architectural interlude facing Saint-Julien church, while the former Fine Arts school blends naturally into this new ensemble.

Watch how this white monolith transforms the urban landscape without ever overwhelming it. Its transparency on the ground floor opens up unprecedented views over the François 1er garden, inviting passers-by to take a contemplative break in the heart of the city. An architectural success story that adds a resolutely contemporary signature to the heritage of Touraine.