GrandPalais.fr : Wolrd time clock

Wolrd time clock

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.

Unusual proportions

See the media:The world time clock used to mark time in the Nave.

The world time clock used to mark time while events unfolded in the Nave. © SAF

Located above the peristyle in the Nave, facing the Great Staircase, the World time clock kept time for many years as events unfolded in the Grand Palais. Placed on a balcony with an area of 3,700 sq. ft., the world time clock was made around 1878, and is composed of twelve dials for the timezones of the main world capitals.
The clock was designed by Armand-François Collin who had notably devised the chimes for the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois and been awarded the Légion d'honneur at the 1878 Universal Exhibition. It was then that he designed the famous world time clock for the Palais de l'industrie. When the latter was demolished the clock was moved to the Nave of the Grand Palais where it kept time till 2001.

A new area for the general public and receptions

The Clock Balcony offers what is perhaps the finest panoramic view of the Nave. Today unused for safety reasons, it is in need of restoration before being again opened to the public.
The vocation of the Clock Balcony is to provide an area for new visitors at events or exhibitions. The area also offers a private environment for evening functions and receptions. Visitors and guests will all be able to enjoy watching the intricate mechanisms of this masterpiece of clock-making, one of nine of its kind in France, whirr again in the Grand Palais.

Technical information

Work: Restoration of the clock, consolidation of the balcony structures to accommodate the public, restoration of the oak parquet flooring, restoration of the mural arches, and reopening of the doors accessing the peristyle, restoration of the balustrades.
Area: Balcony: 350 m²
Schedule: Duration of work: 6 months

Photo gallery

The clock balcony

Contact

mecenat@rmngp.fr