Spirit of Paris - Photos of Paris

Archive for July, 2006

Sunset behind the Grand Palais

This is a show we wouldn’t be able to see before. The glass roof of the Grand Palais was changed last year and now we can see through.
During this extensive restauration, the original color of the paint was found behind a plate bearing the name of the builder. It is the same pale green you can see today.

Don’t you think it looks like a Jules Verne’s flagship waiting to take off to some mysterious places.

Now the Grand Palais is mainly used for painting exhibits or special events. If you have the opportunity to get in, don’t miss it. Look up and you will see, it’s a kind of magic, especially at sunset.

8 comments July 30th, 2006

Pont de Crimee

There’s not only the Seine in Paris. There is the Canal Saint Martin. Digged in the 19th century to bring some water to Paris, this canal is now used to fetch materials or as a promenade by touristical boats.

On the north east side of Paris, this bridge is the only elevating one. In order to let the boats get through the bridge open up, lifted by four cables rolling on the four wheels. Beside there is a pedestrian bridge with these typical steps and lamposts.

1 comment July 27th, 2006

The bridge Simone de Beauvoir

It is not every day that Paris has a new bridge. This is the 37 th.

Let me introduce to you the bridge Simone de Beauvoir.
She was a writer (the second sex) and a philosopher, ~~married to~~ She shared the life of Jean Paul Sartre (thank you Sarah).

This bridge looks like a roller coaster on the photo, but it is only an optical illusion. The architect, Dietmar Feichtinger, wanted to give this bridge the curves of a women. A tribute to femimity depicted so well by Simone de Beauvoir.

RFR, a Paris based team of engineers worked on the sketch design of this bridge.

And guess where this bridge is leading to ? To the French National Library (Tres Grande Bibliotheque).

At night, the lighting comes from under the handrails. No lamp posts break the elegant lines.

15 comments July 16th, 2006

Manhattan by the Seine

On the far west side of Paris, there is a district named Beaugrenelle or Front de Seine. It was built between the 60’s and the 90’s on an old industrial area. The result is a small Manhattan like district by the river, mixing living towers with offices and shopping malls. Twenty differents towers, not high enough to be called skyscrapers try to imitate the Eiffel tower in the background.

3 comments July 9th, 2006

Musee des arts premiers - quai Branly

This new museum is a stunning mix of old art and modern architecture. The main floor looks like a deep forest in which you discover the life of far living tribes. If you are not keen about primary arts, you may see only a large collection of wooden mask. It’s better to learn a bit about it before you get in.

The Quai Branly Museum features indigenous art, cultures and civilisations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.
It contains over 300,000 objects

Oh, by the way, it’s forbidden to take photos inside, especially when you got a good quality camera. “you can buy photos in the shop if you need some” the man told me. Never ever !

If you have the choise between the Louvre or this museum, choose the Louvre. Same price (8,50 €) but 10 times more interesting.

1 comment July 3rd, 2006