Grand Palais
Situated in the 8e arrondissement
of the city of Paris is the Grand
Palais, also known as the Grand
Palace. The structure is a beautiful
glass exhibition hall which was
constructed for the 1900 Paris
Exhibition. The building’s classical
stone façade is of the Beaux-Arts
style of architecture while the roof
is made of the more modern
elements of glass and steel.
The façade features art nouveau
ironwork and sculptures by Alfred
Boucher and Paul Gasq. Flanking the
main façade are George Recipon’s two
massive bronze chariots drawn by
four horses, known as a quadriga.
The Grand Palais, the Pont Alexandre
III and the Petit Palais were all
built at the same time. The Grand
Palais was the result of the
combined work of four architects who
each won the Prix de
Rome for architecture.
Henri Deglane designed the main
facade of the building while the
opposite end was designed by
Albert-Félix-Théophile Thomas.
Albert Louvet took care of the
structure’s interior and the
remaining two sides. Charles Girault
supervised the entire project. In
1993, the building was closed down
for a dozen years after a glass
panel from the ceiling collapsed. It
reopened after a full-blown
renovation on September 24, 2005. |
