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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts, built between 1897 and 1900 for the Universal Exhibition of Paris, replaces the former industrial palace of 1855. Designed as a " monument dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art", it is intended to host the major official artistic events. Its architecture, combining metallic structure and neoclassical decorations, embodies the eclecticism of the Belle Époque. Four architects — Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert-Félix-Théophile Thomas and Charles Girault — worked together to achieve it after a French competition.

The central nave, 240 metres long and surmounted by an 8500-tonne glass roof, is inspired by the London Crystal Palace. The facades, decorated with copper quadriges by Georges Récipon and Guilbert-Martin mosaics celebrating civilizations, conceal a bold technical innovation. The Grand Palais is part of a larger urban project, extending the axis of the Invalides towards the Champs-Elysées, with the Petit Palais opposite and the Alexandre-III bridge over the Seine.

From its inauguration on 1 May 1900, the monument hosts artistic exhibitions, horse racing competitions (until 1957) and technical exhibitions such as the Auto Show (1901–1961). During world wars, he served as a military hospital or barracks. In the 1930s, the Palais de la Découverte settled permanently, while the National Galleries, created in 1964, hosted major retrospectives (Picasso in 1966). Ranked a historic monument in 1975, then in its entirety in 2000, it underwent a massive restoration (2001–2007) to repair unstable foundations and a corroded structure.

Closed in 1993 for safety reasons after the fall of rivets, the Grand Palais gradually reopens after titanium works (€101 million). Its glass roof, the largest in Europe (17,500 m2), is restored in its original "Reseda" green, identified thanks to archives of the company Ripolin. In 2020, a new renovation (€400 million) was launched to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games, where it would host fencing and taekwondo. Today, there is still a major venue for art fairs (FIAC, Art Basel) and cultural events.

The Grand Palais also symbolizes the challenges of heritage conservation: its 3,400 oak piles, embedded in unstable alluvial soil near the Seine, caused differential collapses (up to 14 cm). The restorations required concrete injections, the replacement of 15,000 rivets and the rest of the quadriges. Its history reflects the tensions between modernity (an aborted project by Le Corbusier for a 20th century museum) and preservation, solved by its final ranking in 2000.

Beyond its cultural role, the monument housed unusual uses: police station, university restaurant, or even a circus under its roof during the Liberation of Paris in 1944. Today, it is served by the Champs-Élysées–Clemenceau and Franklin D. Roosevelt metro stations, and continues to attract millions of visitors for its exhibitions, fashion shows (such as Chanel) and exceptional events, such as Prince's concerts in 2009 or annual electro nights.

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