Grand Palais Ephémère: what future for the cultural space after the reopening of the Grand Palais?

In anticipation of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the capital has been given a makeover. Monuments, streets, bridges, museums: major works have been undertaken for several years to welcome athletes and tourists in the best possible conditions.

The Grand Palais, venue for the Olympic and Paralympicfencing and taekwondo events , has benefited from a three-year renovation phase. Since 2021, the Parisian landmark had been closed for renovation. To make up for this absence, a new building has been erected. Located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the Champ-de-Mars, the Grand Palais Ephémère served as a temporary showcase for events usually held at the Grand Palais. Exhibitions, art or trade fairs, book festivals, sports competitions: since summer 2021, this building with its original shape has been at the center of Paris's cultural life.

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The Grand Palais Ephémère is the result of the association between the Réunion des Musées Nationaux (RMN)-Grand Palais and Paris 2024. The 10,000 m² ephemeral building was designed by the architectural firm Wilmotte & Associés. Set in the axis of the Champ-de-Mars, with a glass façade, it offers a breathtaking view of the Iron Lady, creating an exceptional backdrop for cultural events, as well as sporting fixtures.

After three years in operation, the mission of the Grand Palais Ephémère has come to an end. The Grand Palais, located in the 8th arrondissement, is back in action for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The renovation work on the monument is not quite complete, but the first events are already scheduled to take place inside the historic building before the end of 2024.

The Grand Palais is back in the cultural spotlight in Paris. Trade fairs, fashion shows, exhibitions: from autumn 2024, visitors are expected to gather under the restored glass roof. But what will become of the Grand Palais Ephémère?

As its name suggests, it was not designed to remain in Paris. The original plan was to dismantle the Champ-de-Mars site inautumn 2024. According to Le Parisien, the Grand Palais Ephémère was to have disappeared by November 30. However, the building's concession holder, GL Events, would like to see the monument remain in Paris a little longer. Dismantling of the structure has been postponed until April 2025.

In an interview with Les Echos newspaper in March 2024, GL Events CEO Olivier Ginon said he wanted to ensure the building's long-term future. " It will be an integral part of the legacy of the Games, and will be very useful at a time when the Centre Pompidou will be closed for renovation for five years, when the Palais de Tokyo will be undergoing work in 2026, and when halls 2 and 3 of the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre will be undergoing work from 2025 to 2027," he emphasized.

The CEO anticipates major voids with the closure of these sites, voids which he assures us will be filled by the Grand Palais Ephémère.

This ambition is not to everyone's taste, however. Associations in the Champ-de-Mars district refuse to let the building go on forever. The project's detractors point to the damage caused by the monument and by the numerous events organized. Damage to nature, loss of view of the Eiffel Tower: the criticisms are numerous.

Paris City Hall is sticking to its original decision, says Patrick Bloche, Anne Hidalgo's first deputy (PS), in the columns of Le Parisien. He confirms: " It was planned that its lifespan would not extend beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will therefore be dismantled at the end of the Games, as we indicated six months ago. The Champ-de-Mars will soon regain its garden and its view of the military academy.