Grand Palais in Paris fully reopens following Chatillon Architectes restoration

https://www.dezeen.com/2025/06/19/grand-palais-fully-reopens-chatillon-architectes/







French studio Chatillon Architectes has completed the final phase of its transformation of the historic Grand Palais on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, now set to become the temporary home of Centre Pompidou. It follows the studio's restoration of the landmark building's iconic glass-roofed atrium, or nave, which was completed in 2024 in time to host the city's Olympic Games. The final phase of the four-year renovation project has involved restoring the remainder of the 77,000-square-metre building, which is now reopen to the public.







This phase of the project has focused on reopening and reconnecting the entire interior to provide full public access, which Chatillon Architectes founder Francois Chatillon said has allowed "for the rediscovery of forgotten areas and hidden gems". It has also introduced eateries and modernised its galleries, some of which are now being occupied by Centre Pompidou as the high-tech cultural centre undergoes its own restoration. Among the exhibitions installed by the Centre Pompidou so far are Fun Palace, a pink, textile structure designed by Rotterdam architect Studio Ossidiana as a habitable "living laboratory".







"The unveiling of the nave last summer was, obviously, an amazing moment for the Grand Palais' most iconic space to take centre stage once again," Chatillon told Dezeen. "Our work on this second phase is about knitting this vast building back together, combining the old with the new," he continued. "Our aim has always been to ensure these stunning areas meet their full potential by linking them together, creating new visitor services and access routes that will transform the way the building works and is used, creating a new experience for the next generation of visitors."









The Grand Palais was built for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. The overhaul by Chatillon Architectes is the first major restoration in the building's history. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architects Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas, and coordinated by Charles Girault, it is widely considered one of Paris's most iconic landmarks. According to Chatillon Architectes, the final phase of restoration has increased public access to the building by 140 per cent. It has seen the full reopening of its original central axis, which is formed of its three main spaces, including the nave.

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