GrandPalais.fr : The VIP Lounge

The VIP Lounge

The Nave

Great Staircase: A superb illustration of Art nouveau, the monumental Great Staircase is an instant eye-catcher. Serving as a reception area and the prestigious entrance to the future VIP lounge, it alone illustrates the majesty of the Grand Palais.
Balconies: The fine, understated contour of the balconies that run all the way round the Nave conceals little-known reception and exhibition areas. Only when they have been fully restored will it be possible to access this exceptional viewpoint that takes in the whole of the Nave.
Wolrd time clock: The world time clock has presided over a century of events in the Grand Palais, and, as a work of impressive scale and history, must be restored to its former role in the Nave.
Tympanum: Imagining the interaction and resonance between contemporary creation and heritage. This will be the challenge for the contemporary artist restoring and decorating the tympanum in the Grand Palais.
Corner glass roofs: On either side of the great staircase, the skylight windows in the corners of the building provide warm and intimate reception areas, a welcome counterpoint to the immensity of the Nave. Once restored, these shafts of light will create an even more graphic impact.
Regulation of the temperature in the Nave: Designing a temperature regulation system to operate under the biggest glass roof in Europe, covering a total area of 13,500 m2 (145,000 sq. ft.) for a volume of 450,000 m³ (15,890,000 ft³) is a massive challenge!
Mosaics and glass floors: More than just a restoration, the task of reconstituting the mosaics with their soft colours, and the glass tiles that are so typical of the early 20th century is an invitation to rediscover the sumptuous life and times of the Belle Époque.

Building exterior

Main entrance: It is through the majestic main entrance on Avenue Winston-Churchill that more than one and a half visitors each year enter the Grand Palais.
The pots à feu on the roof and the great sculptures on the pediment: These ornaments and large groups of sculptures make a major contribution to the building's overall impression of splendour: Alfred Picard, commissioner of the 1900 Universal Exhibition, attached particular importance to these curiosities that have since been damaged by the passage of time or simply disappeared.
Illuminations: The design of new illuminations for both inside and outside the Nave is a major and ambitious project for the 21st century and an exciting challenge on the scale of the building itself.

New areas

The VIP Lounge: Centrepiece of the restoration project for the Grand Palais, the renovation of the VIP Lounge will enable businesses, patrons and the general public to discover this sumptuous area of 1,200 m2 (12,900 sq. ft.) located in the heart of the building.
The South-East Gallery: A new area with 700 m2 (7,500 sq. ft.) of floor space, the gallery will be able to host events such as exhibitions and fashion shows. Events here will be bathed in outstanding natural vertical light streaming down through the glass overhead.
The Fine Arts Staircase: A jewel in the Grand Palais' crown, the Fine Arts Staircase offers a warm and inviting reception area and an exclusive facility in which to welcome guests. Its discrete atmosphere is enhanced by a staircase that lends a magical sense of elevation as it leads upward to the balconies in the Nave.

See the media:The prestigious VIP Lounge in 1900

The prestigious VIP Lounge in 1900 © CNAM-bibliothèque - cote 4° Xae 69.2

An area with prestige

Located in the heart of the Grand Palais, the VIP Lounge (salon d'honneur) today closed to the public, is a magnificent area of 12,800 sq. ft., covered by a glass roof. Though it was the choice setting for the first exhibitions after the opening of the Grand Palais and for numerous events, it is now relatively unknown. The VIP Lounge used to be accessible from the Nave from the Great Staircase via a large painted and sculpted door with a semicircular arch: the tympanum. Since the Palais de la Découverte made the Grand Palais its permanent home in 1940, this passage has been bricked up.

An emblematic project

To give new life back the VIP Lounge is a flagship project for the Grand Palais and will contribute to its international stature. To restore its former splendour and reopen access from the Nave will be an ambitious project! The public will be able to rediscover a damaged area that has been unknown for too long and enjoy again a complete tour of the Grand Palais. It will also open up a prestige facility in the heart of the building for exhibitions or private functions.

What does the future hold for the VIP Lounge?

The restoration of the original décor and ornaments in this outstanding area are vital to its rehabilitation. An extension of the Nave, it offers floor space for temporary exhibits. A prestigious venue capable of operating as a stand-alone facility, it will be ideal for hosting PR events.
To reinvent the VIP Lounge, modularity and high-quality equipment are major aspects of the project. As a venue it will be multi-purpose with exhibition gallery, VIP area, prestige room for receptions, dinners, symposia, screenings or AGMs.

Technical information

Restoration and decoration: design and engineering, glasswork, metal work, joinery, stucco and staff, lighting, painting and mosaics, acoustics, framework and air-conditioning
Area: 12,800 sq. ft. / height to ceiling: 54 feet
Due to open: during the second semester 2011

Contact

mecenat@rmngp.fr

Media

Photos gallery

The VIP Lounge

Video

The VIP Lounge

An area with prestige

An emblematic project

What does the future hold for the VIP Lounge?

Technical information

Contact

Media

Photos gallery

Video

See also