The Ancienne Poste in Versailles transformed into a living space and Fan Zone for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - photos

After years of speculation about the future of theformer Versailles Post Office, this historic building has been reborn under a new face and transformed into a multifunctional municipal space dedicated to events and culture. It took 18 months of renovation work to unveil this new spot, which opens its doors this summer, marking a new stage for this emblematic site.

L'Ancienne Poste is located in the heart of Versailles, near Jules-Hardouin Mansart's Grande Écurie. The building is bright and spacious, with three floors of 650 m² each and a vast courtyard, making it an ideal place to live for both residents and tourists to the Château de Versailles.

The first floor features a traditional guinguette and a food court, as well as a space dedicated to exhibitions and events on two levels. This summer, L'Ancienne Poste becomes an official Fan Zone for the Olympic Games, with Club 2024 offering a diverse program from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

Attractions include the "Versailles from Above" exhibition, coordinated by Guillaume Lebigre, featuring films, previously unseen photos and a relief plan of 18th-century Versailles.

The Ancienne Poste, built in 1963 by architect André Leconte, has a rich history. Initially a barracks, the site evolved over the centuries before becoming a postal center. The current transformation aims to make it an intergenerational and cultural meeting place. The history and architecture of the building, with its 90 bay windows and Saint-Leu stone, are enhanced by this new vocation.

The second floor, currently under construction, will be inaugurated at the start of the 2025 school year and will offer a reading area for children and a student work space, under the management of the Versailles municipal library network.

The "Versailles from Above" exhibition, open until October 8, offers a unique aerial perspective of Versailles. On the second floor, a large silk and paper plan-relief recreates the city and its gardens in the 17th century, illustrating the innovative urban planning of Louis XIV and André Le Nôtre. This historical presentation is an invitation to rediscover the scale and beauty of Versailles.

Pascal Chesnel and Béatrice Caudron created the plan-relief of Versailles, a project completed in 2006. This scale model of Versailles in 1704, made from historical materials, offers a detailed vision of the territory at the time of the Sun King, reconstituted at 1:600 scale.

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Within this space, we discover Sept Lieux, the lively gourmet spot imagined by 4 passionate Versailles residents , whose vocation is to energize local life:"We want to offer local residents a place to meet up and share convivial moments," explains Jonathan. Inspired by the success of their summer guinguettes, they now want to offer a welcoming, festive space all year round.

Sept Lieux promises a variety of events to attract a diverse audience, including :

• La guinguette: a friendly summer space that has already won over the people of Versailles
• The Olympic Games fan zone: a place to follow the competitions in a festive atmosphere.
• Afterwork, Versailles Comedy Club and other events to come

In terms of catering, Sept Lieux innovates with several themed kiosks, managed by a chef and his team. The emphasis is on local produce, in collaboration with partners such as Brasserie Toussaint in Noisy le Roi and wine shop Lieu-dit on avenue de Saint-Cloud."We really want to work with local producers to offer quality products," says Charles-Antoine.

Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 9am to midnight, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 2am.

Fan Zone program from July 26 to August 11, 2024

On the program:

• Highlights include a broadcast of the opening ceremony, meetings with the official Olympic mascot, and a visit from an official athlete.
  
  
• Sports activities, with the skate-park area activated, as well as various sports activities led by professional entertainers (ping-pong, badminton, gym, laser run, athletics, basketball, rugby...).
  
  
• Cultural and educational events, including exhibitions, concerts and games.

For this city-wide fan zone, there are several places to mark in your diary to make the most of the 2024 Olympic Games:

• Skate-park - Avenue de l'Europe: Open from 12pm to 2pm and from 6pm to midnight. Entertainment is also provided from 2pm to 6pm.
  
  
• Parking avenue de l'Europe: You'll find a sports broadcasting area and a food court from 12 noon to midnight. An educational, sports and cultural entertainment area (inflatable structure, wooden games, manual activities, board games, reading corner, sports initiations...) will also be set up, from 12pm to 7pm.
  
  
• Restaurant Sept Lieux - 3, avenue de Paris: The restaurant and terrace will be open from 9am to 2am.
  
  
• Guinguette - Cour de l'Ancienne Poste: Food and live music from 9am to 1am.

With the Ancienne Poste reborn in a new light, Versailles has a new cultural and festive center, where local gastronomy, varied entertainment and a convivial atmosphere meet to the delight of Versaillais and visiting tourists alike. A must-see address this summer, especially during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.