The Grand Palais newsletter

Show jumping returns to the Grand Palais. Renewing a tradition that made these events a regular part of life in the Nave from 1901 till 1957, the Saut Hermès brings horses and horsemanship back to downtown Paris. The splendid decor will feature a paddock and grandstand seating for 4,000 around a show jumping arena that has been classified as CSI 5* category by the French and International Equestrian Federations. The world's top thirty riders will jump off on April 3 and 4 for the Hermès Grand Prix, worth total prize money of 200,000 €!
Throughout this outstanding weekend, every aspect of the horse, historic emblem of the Hermès brand, will be celebrated through "Equestrian fantasias", combining sport, culture and horsemanship. A spectacular, original show by legendary trainer Bartabas, a photographic exhibition, the reconstitution of a 1924 Hermès booth, and workshops on silk and leather crafts will give visitors insights into the magical world of the legendary harness maker.

Fancy seeing a mountain of snow in the Grand Palais in mid-April? If you do, the Nave will be the place to be on Saturday 24 April! Orangina Gliss & Mix awaits you from 8:00 pm till 5:00 am for an explosive night of boardsports and music. A sensational, unmissable event for fans of wakeboarding, snowboarding and skiing.
For those of you who aren't conversant with the subtleties of boardsport lingo, Quadriges has put together a short glossary:
Orangina Gliss: boardsports will be the central theme of the party! A demonstration of snowboarding, skiing and wakeboarding will be on the programme in the Nave, along with a ski slope and two pools.
Orangina Mix: an eclectic choice of today's music will feature hip-hop, rock and electro.
Snowboard: with your feet on the board and a thick layer of snow; whoosh you're off!
Wakeboard: mix the techniques of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing and you get wakeboarding. Ramps will be specially installed to enable spectacular jumps, with truly thrilling action guaranteed!
Dancefloor: one thousand square meters (10,000 sq. ft.) on which to let go to a mix of musical styles, with stars of rap and DJs to set the dance floor on fire: Joey Starr, Naughty J, Cut Killer, Etienne de Crécy, Izia, Brodinsky…
Riders: fearless hardcore boardsport enthusiasts. Perfect balance is a prerequisite!
Tricks: the acrobatic figures executed by "riders" - well, at least, the best!
Big Air: from the snowy slopes the athletes will propel themselves from a height of 25 metres (80 feet) to execute the most spectacular jumps.
Gliss contests: competitions between rival «riders».

Quadriges continues to explore the crafts that are involved in a restoration project. In January we looked at staff, in February at mosaic, and in March at joinery. This month we take a look at the painters who have been working on the restoration of the Rotundas and the South-East Gallery.
 
House painters: revitalising the work of their predecessors
Quadriges talked to Brigitte Thomas, quantity surveyor and project manager at Trouvé, a specialised painting and decorating firm.
 
What did your work at the Grand Palais consist of?
Our company did the white, ivory and mignonette green paintwork on the staff caissons in the rotunda and the south-east gallery.
 
Why did you add a patina?
It brings a light, decorative transparent effect that is pleasing to the eye.
 
What about the stats? How many pots of paint did you use and how many people worked on the job?
For the 800 m2 (8,600 sq. ft.) of the south-east gallery and the 200 m2 (2,150 sq. ft.) of each rotunda, we used around one hundred pots of paint and had five people working on site.