One of the world's most beautiful museums finally reopens after £402million restoration
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ONE of the world's most beautiful museums has finally reopened after a €466million (£402million) four-year restoration project.
The Grand Palais in Paris, France, has undergone a grand restoration over the past four years - marking the most important restoration phase in the site's history since the 1900 Universal Exhibition.
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One of the world's most beautiful museums has finally reopened after a €466million (£402million) four-year restoration project
Credit: Alamy
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The Grand Palais in Paris, France, has undergone a grand restoration over the past four year
Credit: Instagram/@le_grand_palais
One of the building's most iconic features - the glass roof - was restored in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics and has now been fully integrated with the rest of the building.
The rest of the restoration included reopening and reconnecting the main interior of the building for the public, creating a new public entrance, adding restaurants, modernising galleries and planting over 60,000 plants.
In addition, 40 lifts have been added alongside the building's existing 30 staircases.
One visitor commented on Tripadvisor: "One stairway makes you feel like you've 'arrived' as the honored guest of a major fashion show."
Another added that the museum has "one of the most beautiful staircases I've ever seen".
Statues, balconies and other ornaments have been restored throughout the building too, in addition to 150 of the Grand Palais' windows.
The Grand Palais will also offer more cultural events including art fairs, public installations and fashion shows.
New spaces have been added for families too - with games, creative workshops, interactive features and an exhibition trail to explore.
In the Children's Palace - below the Rotunda of the Palais de la Découverte - there is a new, fully restored interactive area for children aged between two and 10-years-old with scientific machines and hands-on experiences.
According to Dezeen, the architects behind the project - Chatillon - said: "Our aim has always been to ensure these stunning areas meet their full potential by linking them together, creating new visitor services and access routes that will transform the way the building works and is used, creating a new experience for the next generation of visitors."
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The Grand Palais was originally built for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900 and since, has been widely considered as one of the French capital's most iconic landmarks.
The Universal Exhibition was a series of events and exhibitions that showcased France's cultural and technological advancements - and the Grand Palais was one of the impressive structures to feature.
Since then, the site has been used for many different events over the decades including exhibitions, salons, festivals, the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics fencing and taekwondo events and even a huge ice rink.
It was even used as a military hospital and rehabilitation centre during World War I.
It's iconic glass roof - which is one of the largest in Europe - was built using 9,400tons of steel and 15,000square-metres of glass.
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One of the building's most iconic features - the glass roof - was restored in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Credit: Alamy
The architects added that the renovation has meant that the museum's capacity has increased by 140 per cent.
The Grand Palais was also named on Prix Versailles' World's Most Beautiful Museums List in May of this year, reports Bustler.
According to Tripadvisor, over two million people visit the Grand Palais each year.
Tickets to the Grand Palais vary in price depending on the exhibition you want to see.
The UK's newest national museum is more like an Ikea store – and Kate Middleton is already a fan.
Plus, the UK's oldest museum has revealed a new £11.6million redevelopment plan.
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