Paris-based practice Chatillon Architectes has completed a sweeping transformation of the Le Grand Palais, marking the most comprehensive renovation of the Parisian landmark in its 120-year history.
The 77,000-square-metre building has been reimagined with renewed circulation, expanded public access and restored architectural legibility, while maintaining the spirit of its original 1900 design.
The four-year project focused on unifying the monument’s fragmented layout, unlocking long-concealed views and integrating modern infrastructure, including 40 new elevators and 30 staircases to ensure full accessibility.
At the heart of the renovation is a reactivated central axis, allowing visitors to traverse the building from Square Jean Perrin to the Seine uninterrupted. Formerly obstructed by decades of partitioning and piecemeal adaptations, the Grand Palais now features an open-plan layout anchored by a new Place Centrale, increasing public access by 140%.
"The Grand Palais is a powerful symbol of France’s cultural legacy – iconic and instantly recognisable, yet so much of its beauty has been hidden for decades," said François Chatillon, founder of the studio. "This renovation was about bringing it back to life."
The renovation blends high-tech interventions with traditional craftsmanship, restoring over 1,000 sculptures and ornaments, alongside the replacement or repair of 150 monumental windows.
Inside, historic exhibition galleries have been stripped back to their original proportions and updated with flexible lighting and multimedia systems. The Centre Pompidou will temporarily house exhibitions here during its own renovation, while GrandPalaisRmn will continue to curate cultural programming.
Outside, the surrounding landscape has been redesigned to better integrate the monument with its urban context, introducing over 60,000 plants across 250 species, with irrigation powered by harvested rainwater from the restored roof.
Main Image: © Antoine Mercusot for Chatillon Architectes
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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