The “Gallery of Hercules.” Qatar’s Prince Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani has purchased Paris’s Hôtel Lambert, in a corner of the Île Saint-Louis overlooking the Seine with plans to restore the 17th-century palace to it former grandeur.

Some preservationists decry Prince Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani approach to restoring the 43,000-square-foot building and its finest features, while modernizing it for his family and his extensive collection of 17th- and 18th-century French art. The prince plans to spend about $60 million to renovate the place, including its unusual suspended garden, built over two service floors.

It seems that the restoration attempts to restore the Hôtel Lambert to its original grand dame status, while adding modern technology where it makes sense — the heating and cooling systems, for example. Yes, the technology is green.

With all the cries of “foul” going on, it seems that the real problem lies beneath the surface of architecture. After all a prince from Qatar now owns the Hôtel Lambert. via NYTimes: A Palace Overhaul, Treading on French Heritage.

Also, Bloomberg: Qatari Prince’s EU100 Million Paris Mansion Plan Blocked