The Grand-Palais is now closed for 3 years in order to carry out a major renovation before 2024. It is to host the fencing events of the 2024 Olympic Games. But the majesty and immensity of the building can still be admired from the avenue that borders it.
The Grand-Palais is one of the most emblematic Parisian monuments. Built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 (April 15 - November 12, 1900), it is recognizable by its large glass dome flanked by the French flag. An architectural masterpiece combining stone, steel, and glass, it has been listed as a historic monument since November 2000.
Where is the Grand-Palais located and why there?
The Grand-Palais is located some 100 m from the Champs-Élysées, opposite the Petit Palais, from which it is separated by avenue Winston-Churchill in the 8th arrondissement. It is also practically on the banks of the Seine.
Before the Universal Exhibition of 1900, the beginning of a long perspective is already marked by the Dôme des Invalides, the Soldiers' Church, the Hotel, and the Esplanade des Invalides. But, on the other side of the Seine, one of the side facades of the Palais des Arts et de l'Industrie, which was demolished for the occasion, is unfortunate to see.
It is thus planned to extend the "axis of the Invalides" to the Élysée Palace and thus provide a framework for the future great exhibition. The Republican axis was born.
The Republican Axis and the perspective from the Invalides to the Champs Elysées
The organization and setting up of the 1900 Universal Exhibition was organized around the foreign and themed pavilions set up on the Invalides esplanade, on the other side of the Seine. On the other bank, the ensemble formed by the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais faced each other on the new avenue thus created. The link between the two banks will be the Alexandre-III bridge launched, on this occasion, over the Seine river.
Construction and architectural design of the Grand-Palais
The main building, parallel to Winston Churchill Avenue, is almost 240 meters long and consists of an imposing space topped by a large glass roof. The slightly lowered barrel vault of the north and south aisles and the transverse nave (paddock), the pendentive dome, and the dome weigh about 8,500 tons of steel, iron, and glass. The total weight of metal used reaches 9,057 tons (compared to 7,300 tons for the Eiffel Tower structure). The top of this ensemble reaches 45 meters. This type of building marks the culmination of the eclecticism, typical of the "Beaux-Arts style". The Grand Palais alone is a summary of the tastes of the "Belle Époque". The provision of natural light is still essential for any great human gathering, as we are still in the days before the "electric fairy" period.
The inauguration ceremony was held on May 1, 1900, in the presence of Émile Loubet, President of the Republic.
A century of "multidisciplinary" exhibitions
The 77,000 m2 of the Grand Palais regularly hosts prestigious trade shows and exhibitions. Indeed, from 1901 onwards, other Salons followed one another. They are mainly dedicated to innovation and modernity: the Motor Show from 1901 to 1961, the Air Show from 1909 to 1951, the Houseware Show, etc. But there are also artistic, technical, and commercial exhibitions, as well as one-off events.
The national galleries
In 1964, at the request of André Malraux, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, a large part of the north wing was transformed into the "Galeries nationales" (National Galleries) to house large temporary exhibitions. In 1966, a retrospective of the painter Pablo Picasso was presented, followed by numerous exhibitions of classical, impressionist (Renoir), and modern painters (Zao Wou-Ki, Prassinos, Mušič, Bazaine, Manessier). The Grand Palais has recently made a name for itself throughout the world through the organization of two major exhibitions: Picasso and his masters in 2008 and Monet in 2010.
The "Grand-Palais des Beaux-Arts" and the renovations of 2001 to 2007
But between 2001 and 2007 already, before the current renovation, the Grand Palais has been the subject of a reordering of the foundations (subsidence due to alluvial deposits from the nearby Seine), of the metal structure, replacement of the glass roof, for more than 100 million Euros.
The Grand-Palais before its closure for the current renovation
Up to its closure of 2021, the Grand Palais consists of 3 major parts: the Nave, the National Galleries, and the Palace of Discovery.
- The imposing Nave, 240 meters long, hosts major national and international events in a wide variety of fields (horse riding, contemporary art, funfair...).
- The National Galleries organize large-scale exhibitions on artists who have left their mark on the history of art (Picasso, Hopper, Renoir...).
- The Palais de la découverte, a temporary exhibition for the 1937 International Exhibition, occupies the space of the Palais d'Antin (western part of the Grand Palais). This exhibition attracted 2 million visitors and thus won the right to stay in the Grand Palais. The Palais de la Découverte is a museum and cultural center dedicated to science, where children learn while having fun through permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. It has just acquired a new and quite exceptional digital projection system for its planetarium.
A must-see 3-in-1 site, just a stone's throw from the Champs-Élysées.
The Grand-Palais in figures - as it was until 2021
8,900 m2 of cast walls executed with nearly 6,600 m3 of concrete, 2,000 jet grouting columns put in place with about 10,000 t of cement.
Length of 200 m, width of 50 m (100 m between the main entrance and the back wall of the paddock), height of 35 m under the framework, 45 m high under the dome, 60 m up to the campanile. The floor area reaches an area of 13,500 m2.
Weight above the nave: 6,000 tons of steel (600 tons replaced during the first phase of the works) for a total of 8,500 including the Palais d'Antin. Number of rivets changed: about 15,000. Surface area repainted: 110,000 m2. Weight of the new paint: 60 tons for 3 coats carried out, i.e. practically the equivalent of 2,000 30-kilo pots.
Surface replaced: 13,500 square meters for the large nave (16,000 square meters with the side glass). A load of new glazing for the nave, the paddock, and the skylights close to the two quadrigas: 280 t of laminated glass (not including 65 t of double glazing for the lateral galleries located on the periphery). The total surface area of the glass roof represents 17500m², making it the largest glass roof in Europe.
Linear replaced: 750 m of lead and 110 m of zinc gutters, 1,200 m of stamped zinc ornaments. Surface of zinc terraces: 5,200 m2.
(Source: ÉMOC)
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