On Monday, April 15th, three years and 500 million dollars later, the Grand Palais is ready to host the fencing and taekwondo competitions during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Starting on March 12th, 2021, the Grand Palais was closed to the public to begin reconstruction of the building with hopes of finishing by 2024.
French president, Emmanuel Macron, has praised the project since the start, claiming it is one of the most significant reconstruction projects the country has ever attempted, excluding the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019. “Four years ago, we were told it was still crazy.” Still, now Macron proudly announces that “the whole world will rediscover the Grand Palais…as a place of creation, of exhibition, of knowledge, of welcoming the public”.
Although restoring the monument to its former glory was a challenge, the project’s main struggle was bringing the decades-old structure up to code so it could be handed over to the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee.
Initially, the Grand Palais was meant to display the pinacol of French art. Constructed alongside the Seine River, this marvel of French architecture was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, a world fair meant to celebrate and display the achievements of the past century while accelerating development into the next. Considering how it was in the 19th century, many modern safety and building regulations did not exist, making the Grand Palais unsuitable for hosting massive events like the Olympics. Daniel Sancho, head of the renovation, said the goal was “both to respect the monument and to propel it into our century, with the need to bring it up to standard.” This includes not only fireproofing the metal frames but also creating additional emergency exits, and considering how old the building is, it’s a miracle they could even add one extra exit.
Overall, the reconstruction of the Grand Palais is a win for France and the world. The Grand Palais is an architectural masterpiece comparable to the world’s seven wonders, and now, people from across the globe will be able to experience it in its full glory.
