Located in the 8th district of Paris, on the edge of the Champs-Elysées, the Grand Palais still faces the Petit Palais. Listed on the Historical Monuments, it offers on its 77 000 m² of prestigious exhibitions and exhibitions.
The monument was built at the very end of the 19th century for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. It is the work of Henri Delgane, Albert Louvet, Albert-Félix-Théophile Thomas and Charles Girault, architects selected by competition. Today, the Grand Palais consists of a main vessel of a length of nearly 240 meters and surmounted by a huge glass roof. The dome on pendants and the dome are made entirely of iron, glass and steel, for 8500 tons.
It represents the culmination of the eclectic style Beaux Arts very popular at the time, and a beautiful example of the Belle Epoque and its architecture. On its exteriors, one can admire many statues, like the quadrigas in copper or the allegorical works representing the Immortality ahead the Time or the Triumphant Harmony of the Discord. The interior mosaics are not lacking in style, just like those of the outer friezes and their long stripes with very bright colors. The peristyle allows to discover ten mosaic panels representing art at different times, especially to celebrate different civilizations such as the Romans, the Greeks, the Mesopotamians or the Italians of the Renaissance.
Since its opening, the Grand Palais has hosted a large number of exceptional events such as the Lépine contest, the Salon de l'Automobile, the salon des artistes français, the fair Paris or the book fair.
The building also houses the Palais de la Découverte and its many activities in its west wing, while the north wing offers the famous National Galleries wanted by André Malraux and unveiling major temporary exhibitions on such talented artists as Picasso, Monet and Prassinos..
