In September 2019, following a call for tenders launched by the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais and Paris 2024, GL events was appointed concessionaire for the design, construction and dismantling of the Grand Palais Éphémère located on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris.
This iconic 10,000 m² modular and temporary structure will host events of the Grand Palais during its construction period, as well as the Olympic judo and wrestling events and the Paralympic wheelchair rugby and para-judo events during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
A LOOK BACK AT THIS HISTORIC AND LARGE-SCALE PROJECT
THE ISSUE
To imagine, design and build in record time a temporary, iconic, modular, demountable and reusable building of 10,000 m² on a listed site in the heart of Paris.
THE MAIN CHALLENGES
To design and build in 20 months a 10,000 m² temporary building with a unique architectural concept on a constrained site close to local residents.
THE SOLUTIONS
A dismountable and reusable structure designed for events and built off-site using sustainable materials with innovative technical characteristics.
THE ISSUE
To imagine, design and build in record time a temporary, iconic, modular, demountable and reusable building of 10,000 m² on a listed site in the heart of Paris.
© Wilmotte & Associés Architectes
THE MAIN CHALLENGES
To design and build in 20 months a 10,000 m² temporary building with a unique architectural concept on a constrained site close to local residents.
The challenges were to:
- Guarantee the delivery time of the site,
- Propose an architectural concept that is worthy of the Grand Palais, but also functional and versatile,
- Limiting noise pollution, both during the construction phase and throughout the building’s operation,
- Propose security and safety measures to take the sensitivity of the site in the immediate vicinity of pedestrians and motorists into account,
- Respect the natural and historical heritage of the site,
- Maintain access to the Champ-de-Mars for its various users (local residents, visitors, etc.),
- Limiting environmental impacts throughout its life cycle.
© Patrick Tourneboeuf
THE SOLUTIONS
A dismountable and reusable structure designed for events and built off-site using sustainable materials with innovative technical characteristics.
A PROJECT COMPLETED IN A RECORD TIME OF 10 MONTHS
A real logistical and technical feat, the construction of the Grand Palais Éphémère took only 10 months between the installation of protection for historical monuments and the opening to the public. This challenge has been met thanks to our off-site construction principle. The structure, consisting of 44 glulam arches representing a total of 500 tonnes of wood, was prefabricated in the workshop on a human scale and then assembled on site in 3 months. The choice of materials used and the design of the building also contributed significantly to the reduction in construction time. The 15,000 m² of membranes covering the roof structure of the Grand Palais Éphémère consist of a translucent coated fabric on the upper part of the roof and a transparent ETFE membrane on the sides, thus limiting the volume of materials and facilitating their transport and installation. As for the arches, they were conceived from the outset as a sum of identical elements to speed up and simplify their manufacture in the workshop and their assembly on site.
A MODULAR BUILDING THAT MEETS ALL EVENT REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY AND FACILITIES
We have also designed the Grand Palais Éphémère from the outset with event logistics in mind, to make it functional and versatile and to enable it to easily accommodate all the events that will be held there between now and 2024. It therefore meets the various regulations for the reception of the public, particularly in terms of fire safety and technical installations. It also benefits from a number of fixed installations that simplify each set-up and dismantling operation and guarantee rapid transitions between events.
© AlexGallosi
© AlexGallosi
AN INNOVATIVE ACOUSTIC COMPLEX
To guarantee the peace and quiet of the residents of the Champ-de-Mars, the acoustic complex (with its important thermal properties) was the subject of technical innovations. Under the roof of the building, we developed and installed a second rigid and watertight envelope, consisting of a first shell made of metal sandwich panels, different layers of rock wool and plasterboard as well as an interior finishing fabric with absorbent properties. The use of prefabricated elements also made it possible to limit noise and pollution in the vicinity of the Champ-de-Mars during construction. In addition, sound recording devices – with real-time data feedback – were also installed throughout the site to ensure compliance with noise limits at each event.
© Patrick Tourneboeuf
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SAFETY SYSTEM
To take into account the proximity of the Grand Palais Éphémère to the various users of the Champ-de-Mars, a public safety and security study was made and numerous devices were implemented, such as video protection systems, intrusion detection, access control, an anti-ram device, etc.
A MODULAR AND DISMOUNTABLE TIMBER FRAME
Finally, sustainable development has been placed at the heart of the Grand Palais Éphémère project in order to limit the environmental impact throughout its life cycle.
- The entire site was scanned in 3D images to carry out a precise inventory of the elements to be protected: plant species, fountains, balustrades, the statue of Marshal Joffre, etc. Everything was protected and returned to the historical heritage teams of the Mairie de Paris. The paving stones were re-laid one by one, the roadway was renovated, no trees were cut down in the vicinity of the project, the space hosting the technical equipment was covered with a planted trellis to green one of the bays of the Champ-de-Mars and rose bushes were replanted,
- Its certified wood frame from responsible sources and French manufacture and its light membrane make it a remarkable building, firmly anchored in our time,
- Its structure, conceived as a sum of modular elements, will be able to be reborn in multiple structures on other sites after its dismantling in autumn 2024.
© Patrick Tourneboeuf
A temporary outstanding tailor-made construction?
THEY TALK ABOUT IT
"GROWS AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT"
Claire BOMMELAER and Béatrice DE ROCHEBOUËT, Le Figaro, 7 May 2021
"A MONUMENTAL BUILDING IN WOOD STRUCTURE"
Pascal Nguyên, Les Cahiers Techniques du Bâtiment, 1 February 2021
"AN EXTRAORDINARY CONSTRUCTION SITE"
Emmanuel CIRODDE, Point de Vue, 12 May 2021
"A TEMPORARY AND RESPONSIBLE GRAND PALAIS EPHEMERE"
Nathalie Nort, IDEAT.THEGOODHUB.COM, 8 October 2021
"WHEN AESTHETICS REACHES PERFECTION"
Nathalie Nort, IDEAT.THEGOODHUB.COM, 8 October 2021
Project owner: GL events
Architect: Wilmotte & Associés Architectes
General Contractor: Hall Expo
