After five years of renovation, Paris’s historic Grand Palais reopens with expanded spaces, contemporary design, and an artisanal Chanel centerpiece at its core.
After half a decade and €486 million, Paris’s iconic Grand Palais has reopened, fully transformed and ready to reclaim its position at the heart of the city’s cultural and fashion scenes.
Led by Chatillon Architectes, the landmark’s overhaul is the most extensive update since its debut at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. A key part of the renovation involved removing a partition wall installed in the 1930s, reconnecting previously isolated sections and expanding the public area by 140 percent. The newly reopened Grand Palais now features a seamless layout, with 40 new elevators and 30 staircases providing easy access to the upper-level galleries.
At the center of the renewed space is a modular masterpiece designed by Chanel’s craftsmanship hub, Le19M. The monumental curtain, measuring 49 feet by 26 feet, consists of nine intricately decorated panels that embody the expertise of Chanel’s famed ateliers. Lesage contributed sequined tweeds, Lemarié provided feather marquetry, Goossens created hammered brass cherry blossoms, and Maison Michel integrated felt and raffia elements. Crafted under the meticulous supervision of Studio MTX, the curtain took 720 hours to complete and is rendered in a carefully matched shade of gray-green, complementing the iconic ironwork of the building.
Beyond aesthetics, the renovated Grand Palais ensures fluid functionality for its extensive programming. Fashion returned to the venue last fall, highlighted by Chanel’s recent runway shows and events hosted at Le Grand Café, a stylish brasserie by Joseph Dirand. Soon, Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx will open Réséda, a mezzanine café named after the building’s distinctive color palette.
With exhibitions in collaboration with Paris’s top museums, including the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, and Musée d’Orsay, the Grand Palais is now positioned to reclaim its status as a cultural cornerstone. As part of a new partnership initiative called Constellation, Centre Pompidou will co-produce four major exhibitions each year while its own building undergoes renovations. Exhibitions such as the upcoming showcase of royal Danish tapestries and retrospectives featuring Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely mark the beginning of an ambitious new chapter.
As Grand Palais president Didier Fusillier playfully remarked, visitors should prepare to “get lost,” reflecting the sheer scale and intricate new layout. More than a renovation, this is a renewed invitation to rediscover an iconic space, now more vibrant and connected than ever.
