Thierry Ehrmann, who made a fortune from an online art data business, has spent 2.5 million euros ($3.17 million) on the project since starting out in 1999.

His property is littered with 2,500 works of art including a crashed helicopter in the courtyard, wrecked cars and has reproduction of an oil platform on the roof.

The walls of the old building are painted black and covered in signs and black and white pictures of war and the faces of politicians including Osama Bin Laden and U.S. President George W. Bush.

Ehrmann said the point of art was to ask questions.

"We are in a period of questioning," he said on TF1 television.

The Lyon court said he had violated town planning laws by modifying the property without permission.

But the court did not demand he restore the walls and facade to their original state, disappointing the prosecutors.

($1=.7880 Euro)