Grand and Small Palace in Paris: photo, address, history. Grand Palace of Paris Grand Palace of France
Majestic Grand Palace Fine Arts (Le Grand Palais) decorated Winston Churchill Avenue at the very end of the 19th century. Construction of a large exhibition center in the Beaux-Art style began in 1897 and was completed in the spring of 1900 for the opening World's Fair.
Thoughts about beauty and their implementation
The start of construction of the Grand Palais was preceded by a competition of architectural designs, which did not determine a single winner. According to the decision of the competition commission, the ideas of the architects Henri Deglan, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas were recognized as the most interesting, and the overall coordination of the work was entrusted to Charles Giraud.
The building of the Grand Palace with a facade 240 m long was erected on part of the territory that was previously occupied by the Palace of Industry, which did not meet the requirements of the time. It represents the culmination of the development of the eclectic Beaux-Arts style. Elements of classicism architecture are harmoniously combined with the designs of the Art Nouveau era. The Grand Palais of Paris belongs to those examples of architecture at the turn of the century when the engineer acquired equal rights with the architect in shaping the aesthetic appearance of the building.
The impressive building with an area of 77 thousand m2 is located along the “republican axis” running from east to west. The large nave of the palace and the transverse paddock were designed by A. Deglan. He is also the author of the colonnades along the facades, the model for which was the work of V. Lalu during the reconstruction of the Louvre.
The central part of the building, designed by A. Louvet, is covered by a magnificent dome. The weight of its metal structure and glass panels is 9 thousand tons, and highest point The vault is located at an altitude of 45 m. The western wing or Antin Palace (Palais d’Antin) was built by the architect A. Thoma. The use of a huge amount of glass in the construction of the Grand Palace allows us to call it the heir to the aesthetics of D. Paxton, who built the Crystal Palace in London in 1851.
Art of decor
Monumental copper sculptural compositions by Georges Rechipon are symmetrically installed on the sides of the palace portal at a height of about 40 m. Closer to the Champs-Elysees is the sculptural group “Immortality Conquering Time”, and on the side of the Seine the first composition is “Harmony Triumphant Over Discordia”. The façade of the palace is also decorated with numerous bronze statues by sculptors Alexandre Falguier and Victor Peter.
Many halls of the Grand Palace are decorated with mosaic designs. The floor of the Elliptical Hall is paved with sandstone tiles in brown, beige and greenish colors. Its pattern repeats the cardboards proposed for interior decoration by the artist Louis Guist. 
Ten mosaic panels are located at a high height under the peristyle of A. Deglan. Their total area is 273 m2, and the total length work of art equal to 74 m. The subject of mosaic paintings by Auguste and Rene Martin, created according to sketches by Louis Fournier, was the history of great civilizations. Each episode is dedicated to the art of a different region: ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, French Middle Ages, Italian Renaissance, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, China, Japan and the Americas.
Unity in diversity
Upon completion of construction, the Grand Palais, as expected, became one of the leading cultural and exhibition centers in Paris. But if its western wing, the Antin Palace, has been permanently occupied by the exhibition of the Museum of Discoveries and Inventions since 1937, then the eastern part of the palace was used in a very diverse way.
Along with the organization of permanent temporary art exhibitions in a number of halls, there were different years architectural workshops, customs, police station, Center for Germanic and Slavic Studies, Regional Center for Cultural Affairs, Photographic Heritage Mission, National Gallery. 
The creation of a unified center for culture and art in 2007 made it possible to introduce greater rationality in the use of the palace. Now it houses the National Gallery du Grand Palais, the Palace of Discovery, and the rehearsal rooms of the Comedie Française theater. The upcoming large-scale renovation of the Grand Palais between 2020 and 2023 will transform the building with more than a century of history and prepare it to host fencing and taekwondo competitions during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Grand Palace in France (Grand Palais) is an absolutely stunning imaginative, majestic architectural creation, made in the Beaux Arts style. The Grand Palace is comfortably located near the Champs Elysees. It was built in 1897 in Paris, specifically for the World Exhibition, which took place in France in 1900 from April to November. And since then the Grand Palace has been known and [...]
Grand Palace in France ( Grand Palais) is an absolutely stunning imaginative, majestic architectural creation, made in the Beaux Arts style. The Grand Palace is comfortably located near Champs Elysees.
It was built in 1897, in Paris, specifically for the World's Fair, which took place in France in 1900 from April to November. And since then Grand Palace known and revered as the largest exhibition and cultural center of the French state.
An interesting fact is that the world-famous Eiffel Tower was also built for the World Exhibition, which was held in 1889. Above the two entrances of the Grand Palace are copper quadrigas made by the magnificent Georges Resipon. On the side of the Seine there is a statue “L'Harmonie triomphant de la Discorde”, which means “Harmony triumphs over discord”, and on the side of the Champs Elysees there is a statue “L’Immortalité devançant le Temps”, translated from French this expression means “Immortality precedes time itself." The western wing of the Grand Palace is occupied by the “Museum of Inventions and Discoveries”, and the northern wing houses the Art Gallery.
In a buiding Grand Palace The most interesting exhibitions and events are held. So, from the end of 2010 to January 2011 there was an art exhibition here Claude Monet. By the way, to be able to get into this magnificent exhibition, you had to stand in a two-hour queue.
Grand Palace (French: Grand Palais)
1 Avenue General Eisenhower, 75008 Paris, France
grandpalais.frTake the metro to Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station
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In the center of Petit Palais there is a beautiful, cozy cafe “Le Jardin Du Petit Palais”, where it’s nice to sit in silence away from the bustle big city. The exquisite furnishings are conducive to relaxation - exotic plants, columns, and mosaic patterns are even present on the dishes. The cost of the daily dish with dessert is 15.90 euros.
The establishment is open daily 10:00-17:00, on Friday until 19:00. Monday is a day off.
The Grand Palais has its own restaurant, which offers tastings of honey collected directly on the palace grounds. It is open during Palais opening hours.
Opening hours and cost of visiting the Palaces
Although the Grand and Small Palaces stand side by side, facing each other, their opening hours are different.
Opening hours of the Grand Palace:
- The Grand Palace welcomes guests daily: 9:00-22:00.
- Tuesday is a day off.
Opening hours of the Small Palace:
- The Small Palace is open: daily 10:00-18:00.
- Monday is a day off.
Tickets to the Big and Small Palace
- Temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Grand Palais will cost 6-12 euros.
- The permanent exhibitions of the Petit Palais are open to everyone free of charge, which is very pleasing, although unusual.
- Temporary ones cost 4-11 euros.
For reference: in Paris there is a wonderful tradition of declaring a “night of museums”. This means that any museum in the capital is open for free after 18:00 until midnight.
The queues are long, but is this really an obstacle to the opportunity to see the best masterpieces of world art?
Location and how to get to the Big and Small Palaces
Whether strolling through the expensive boutiques of the Champs-Élysées, visiting the legendary bars, admiring the sights or strolling along the Pont Alexandre III, it is difficult not to notice two magnificent buildings that resemble boxes where the most valuable treasures are usually kept.
The Grand Palais in Paris and its permanent neighbor, the Petit Palais, took pride of place south of Chance-Elise, located between the main street of the capital and the Place de la Concorde, where the Luxor obelisk of Pharaoh Ramses II, donated to the city by the Egyptian ruler Mehmet Ali in 1831, proudly stands.
You can get to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Discovery by taking a taxi and travel comfortably from anywhere in the city.
If you prefer to make your own route, you will have to resort to the services of.
Big and Small Palace on the map
Contact Information
Grand Palais address: 3 Avenue du Eisenhower 75008 Paris, France
Contact phone: +33 1 44 13 17 17
Official website of the Grand Palais: www.grandpalais.fr
Petit Palais address: Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France
Contact phone: +33 1 53 43 40 00
Official website of the Petit Palais: www.petitpalais.paris.fr
Grand Palais in Paris (Video)
Big and Small Palace (Photo)
Photo gallery of the Grand Palais in Paris
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Grand and Petit Palais in Paris
It is almost impossible not to notice the Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts of Paris. A gigantic building with a fancy glass roof, copper quadrigas on the pediments and a high spire topped with a tricolor attracts the gaze of any traveler, no matter where he is - on board an excursion boat sailing along the Seine, on the second floor of a tourist bus crossing the Pont Alexandre III, on observation platforms Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel Tower. The Grand Palais was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and marks the end of the era of the great redevelopment of Paris - together with the Petit Palais, it completes the line stretching from the esplanade of the Invalides to the Champs Elysees.
Story
The architects of the future pavilion faced a very difficult task: to create a majestic, beautiful and at the same time original building (it was necessary to take into account that the structure would probably be compared to the Eiffel Tower). As a result, the Parisian authorities preferred the project of the “three musketeers” - Henri Deglan, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas. Charles Giraud, the creator of the Small Palace, was called upon to coordinate the external architectural appearance of the Grand Palace. The authors chose to move away from the modernism of Gustave Eiffel and carried out the construction in the Beaux Arts style, which involves a combination of various artistic and engineering trends - therefore, antique bronze quadrigas on the pediments, baroque wall decor and the advanced design of the glazed roof, with the steel weaving of the frame reminiscent of Eiffel Tower.
The production of the main vault of the Grand Palace took 6,000 tons of steel - more than the construction of the “First Lady of Paris”. Its glazing area is 13,500 sq. m - even today the roof of the palace is considered the largest glass roof in Europe.
Construction was difficult: the weak riverine soil could not support the weight of the grandiose building, the foundation had to be urgently strengthened - pretty soon the budget was exceeded, and due to insufficient payment for overtime work, the builders staged mass strikes. Nevertheless, by some miracle they met the deadline: “The building dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art” (this inscription can still be read on the pediment) was opened exactly at the beginning of the World Exhibition of 1900.
Grand Palace today
Nowadays, the monumental structure is divided into two unequal parts: the smaller one is occupied by the “Museum of Discoveries and Inventions” ( favorite place excursions of French schoolchildren), and the largest - the Art Gallery. It does not have a permanent exhibition, but temporary exhibitions invariably highest quality- Every year they attract up to 2 million visitors to the Grand Palace.
Practical information
Address: Paris, Avenue Eisenhower, 3. Website
How to get there: the most convenient way is by metro (Champs-Elysees - Clemenceau or Franklin D. Roosvelt stations) or RER (Invalides station).
Opening hours and ticket prices: As a rule, the Grand Palace is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 to 22:00. Opening hours may vary on individual exhibition days. Ticket prices also vary depending on the events.
The Grand Palais (Grand Palace) on the Champs Elysees is a luxurious building in the Beaux Arts style, a major cultural and exhibition center.
It was built for the 1900 World Exhibition. At first they doubted whether it would be possible to eclipse the success of the Eiffel Tower at the last exhibition? We decided that this time the emphasis would be on art. The Grand Palace of Fine Arts (full name Grand Palais) became part of a large-scale redevelopment of the western part of Paris.
Construction was difficult. The soil could not support the weight of the building, 3,400 oak piles were needed, because of this the estimate was greatly exceeded. A gigantic amount of stone, steel, crushed stone, bricks, equipment and labor was required. One and a half thousand construction workers also created problems - strikes broke out.
The result was worth it. A majestic building appeared with a steel frame, a huge glass roof, big amount statues, friezes, mosaics. Bronze quadrigas by Georges Recipon crown both wings of the facade - allegorical statues representing Immortality, ahead of time, and Harmony, triumphing over discord. The inscription on the pediment proclaims that the Republic dedicates this building to the glory of French art.
From the very beginning, the Palace became a venue for exhibitions - dedicated to innovation and technology and, of course, artistic ones. It was here that Matisse and Gauguin gained recognition, and it was here that Cubism, led by the still unknown Picasso, first announced itself.
During World War II, the building was requisitioned as a military hospital with a thousand beds. Artists and sculptors who were not subject to mobilization decorated the wards or made molds for prosthetics. During the occupation, the palace was used to host Nazi propaganda exhibitions, and during the liberation of Paris, it was used as the headquarters of the Resistance.
Today the Grand Palais is still an artistic center. Exhibitions, fashion parades (the Chanel fashion house holds its shows here), car shows, horse shows, book fairs, live concerts, the world fencing championship - it is difficult to list all the events taking place under the glass roof of the Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts.