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| Established | Universal Exposition of 1900 |
|---|---|
| Location | Avenue Winston-Churchill, 75008Paris, France |
| Coordinates | 48°51′58″N2°18′45″E / 48.8661°N 2.3125°E /48.8661; 2.3125 |
| Type | Historic site,exhibition hall |
| Visitors | 1,412,060 (2017)[1] |
| President | Jean-Paul Cluzel |
| Public transit access | Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau Franklin D. Roosevelt     |
| Website | http://www.grandpalais.fr/ |
TheGrand Palais des Champs-Élysées (French pronunciation:[ɡʁɑ̃palɛdeʃɑ̃z‿elize]; English:Great Palace of the Champs-Élysées), commonly known as theGrand Palais, is ahistoric site,exhibition hall andmuseum complex located in the8th arrondissement of Paris between theChamps-Élysées and theSeine, France on Avenue Winston-Churchill. Construction of theGrand Palais began in 1897 following the demolition of thePalais de l'Industrie (Palace of Industry) to prepare for theUniversal Exposition of 1900.[2] That exposition also produced the adjacentPetit Palais andPont Alexandre III.[3]
The building was designed to be a large-scale venue for official artistic events. A pediment on the building refers to this function with an inscription that reads, "a monument dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art." Designed according toBeaux-Arts tastes, the building features ornate stonefacades, glass vaults and period innovations that includediron andlight steel framing andreinforced concrete.[4]
It is listed as a historic monument (monument historique) by theMinistry of Culture.[5]
The decision to hold the Universal Exposition of 1900 in Paris revealed deep divisions within the French Republic. Critics viewed the project as an economic drain that pulled resources away from provincial governments and questioned the benefit that it would bring to the French economy as a whole. These concerns extended to the planning and construction of the Grand Palais.[6]
Unlike plans for theTrocadéro or theGarnier opera house, only French architects were considered for the project. The final decision was announced on 22 April 1896, with a contract awarded to four people, each with a distinct area of responsibility:Henri Deglane,Albert Louvet,Albert Thomas andCharles Girault.
The grand opening was held on 1 May 1900. From the very beginning the palace was the site of different kinds of shows in addition to the intended art exhibitions. These included a riding competition that took place annually from 1901 to 1957, but were mainly dedicated to innovation and modernity: the automobile, aviation, household appliances, and so on. The golden age of the art exhibitions as such lasted for some thirty years, while the last took place in 1947. The first majorHenri Matisse retrospective after his death was held at the Grand Palais.
The main space, almost 240 m (790 ft) long, was constructed with an iron, steel and glass barrel-vaulted roof, making it the last of the large transparent structures inspired by London'sCrystal Palace that were necessary for large gatherings of people before the age of electricity. The main space was originally connected to the other parts of the palace along an east–west axis by a grand staircase in a style combiningClassical andArt Nouveau, but the interior layout has since been somewhat modified.
The exterior of this massive palace combines an imposing Classical stone façade with a riot ofArt Nouveau ironwork, and a number of allegorical statue groups including work by sculptorsPaul Gasq,Camille Lefèvre,Alfred Boucher,Alphonse-Amédée Cordonnier andRaoul Verlet. A monumental bronzequadriga byGeorges Récipon tops each wing of the main façade. The one on the Champs-Élysées side depicts Immortality prevailing over Time, the one on theSeine side Harmony triumphing over Discord.
The structure had problems that started even before it was completed, mainly as a result of subsidence caused by a drop in the water table. The builders attempted to compensate for this subsidence, and for a tendency of the ground to shift, by sinking supporting posts down to firmer soil, since construction could not be delayed. These measures were only partially successful. Further damage occurred once the building was in use. Excessive force applied to structural members during the installation of certain exhibitions such as theExposition Internationale de la Locomotion Aérienne caused damage, as did acid runoff from the horse shows.Additional problems due to the construction of the building itself revealed themselves over the course of time. Differential rates of expansion and contraction between cast iron and steel members, for example, allowed for water to enter, leading to corrosion and further weakening. When finally one of the glass ceiling panels fell in 1993, the main space had to be closed for restoration work, and was not fully reopened to the public until 2007.
The Palais served as a military hospital duringWorld War I, employing local artists who had not been deployed to the front to decorate hospital rooms or to make moulds for prosthetic limbs.
TheNazis put the Palais to use during theOccupation of France inWorld War II. First used as a truck depot, the Palais then housed two Nazi propaganda exhibitions.[7]
The Parisian resistance used the Grand Palais as a headquarters during theLiberation of Paris. On 23 August 1944, an advancing German column was fired upon from a window on the Avenue de Sèlves, and the Germans responded with a tank attack upon the Palais. The attack ignited hay that was set up for a circus show, and over the next 48 hours, thick black smoke from the fire caused serious damage to the building. By 26 August, American jeeps were parked in the nave, followed by tanks from theFrench 2nd Armored Division, completing the liberation of the building.[8][9]
In the 1960s,Le Corbusier wanted the Grand Palais to be demolished to set up the Museum of 20th Century Art there, whichAndré Malraux had entrusted to him. The death of the architect, on 27 August 1965, put an end to the project.[10]
By decree of 12 June 1975, the nave was classified as a historical monument. A new decree of 6 November 2000 protects the Grand Palais in its entirety.
The Grand Palais has a major police station in the basement whose officers help protect the exhibits on show in theGaleries nationales du Grand Palais, particularly the picture exhibition "salons": the Salon de laSociété Nationale des Beaux Arts,Salon d'Automne, andSalon Comparaisons. The building's west wing also contains ascience museum, thePalais de la Découverte.
It was the host venue of the2010 World Fencing Championships.
For the 2011, Monumenta exhibition (11 May to 23 June), sculptorAnish Kapoor was commissioned to create the temporary indoor site-specific installation,Leviathan, an enormous (ca. 775,000 square feet) structure that filled half of the main exhibition hall of the Grand Palais.[11]
It was used during the final stage of theTour de France in 2017, as part of the promotion for Paris'2024 Summer Olympics bid. The riders rode through the Palais en route to theChamps Élysées.
The Grand Palais temporarily closed to the public in March 2021 for significant renovation works. It reopened in time for theParis 2024 Olympic Games, where it hosted thefencing andtaekwondo events.[12] While it is closed, exhibitions that would otherwise be held there will be hosted by other locations, such as theGrand Palais Éphémère and theMusée du Luxembourg in Paris and thePalais de la Bourse in Marseille. In October 2024, after four years of closure, the Grand Palais reopens its doors to the public, once again hosting art fairs, includingArt Basel.[13][14]
In June 2025, the Grand Palais reopened following a €466 million, four‑year overhaul. Highlights include restoration of its iconic glass roof, improved galleries, a new public entrance, 40 lifts, and a Children’s Palace for young visitors. Capacity has increased by 140%, aiming to serve millions annually.[15]
The alarm was sounded in June 1993 after a riveting element detached from a height of almost thirty-five metres during the Design, miroir du siècle exhibition.
The Minister of Culture,Jacques Toubon, decided to "temporarily" close the site in November of that year, due to the danger of new rivets falling on the public. The installation of nets hung under the glass roof and the calling in of experts to remedy the situation were not enough to keep the building open to the public. Only theGaleries nationales and thePalais de la Découverte are once again available to the public, following the necessary safety work. The use of the nave was interrupted for twelve years. Six years during which the Ministry of Culture and Paris City Council were unable to agree on the division of responsibilities for saving the Grand Palais, which continued to deteriorate. This procrastination is linked not only to the relocation and rehousing of the administrations occupying the premises, but also to the substantial sums required for its restoration and upkeep.
Faced with pressure from private investors strongly interested in such a location in the heart of Paris, the building was protected as ahistoric monument[16] in 2000 on the occasion of the centenary of the 1900Universal Exhibition.
The behaviour of masonry and steelwork is influenced by several factors :
The building's foundations, partly made of oak piles supporting stone or lime concrete foundations, are subject to variations and a gradual lowering of the water table. Due to successive campaigns of redevelopment work on the road and the quayside along the Seine, this phenomenon causes the heads of the posts to wash out and then rot when they come into contact with the oxygen in the air. The first cracks appeared, as water infiltration through the glass roof caused the metal to slowly corrode. Another cause of decay is the hanging directly on the metal structure, as part of imposing decorations or exhibitions such as theSalon de l'Aéronautique, where balloons and airplanes are sometimes presented suspended. This causes premature aging of many metal elements.
The restoration work was managed between 2001 and 2007 by the Department of Architecture and Heritage (DAPA) of the Ministry of Culture and Communication. The contracting authority was awarded to thePublic Establishment for the Management of Cultural Works (ÉMOC).
The work was carried out in two phases:
- Phase One (November 2001 – August 2004) : Underpinning of part of the foundations, accompanied by the removal, restoration, and replacement, from 2001 to 2004, of the two repoussé copper quadrigae and their Récipon iron reinforcement.
- Phase Two (2002 to the end of 2007) : Repair of the walls and other cracked masonry, the glass roof, and deformed or dilapidated roofs, with, since 2005, renovation of the facades, restoration of the large exterior mosaic frieze, and a second and final phase of foundation consolidation.
The budget for this project was 101.36 million euros (including 72.3 for the first phase). Funding was provided by the French government through the Ministry of Culture.
Even before the first renovation work on the nave of the Grand Palais began, the question of what color to give to the metal structure quickly arose, and whether it was even possible to restore it to its original state. As time took its toll, numerous layers of paint covered all the elements. The color visible in 2001 was close to gray. The search for the original product based on the initial results. Luck is on the cards, as the manufacturer who supplied the paint in 1900 is still in business. This is theRipolin company, which still has archives from the period in question. The corresponding color chart is quickly found, and the name of the color used is revealed: a "Réséda" green, of which there are three shades : pale, medium, and dark. The previous analyses clearly indicate the use of "pale reseda green."
This article contains material abridged and translated from the French and SpanishWikipedia.
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