Palais de Chaillot

By parisian on 20/08/2009 in Attractions, Paris

Palais de Chaillot

The site of the the Palais de Chaillot is the Trocadero and it’s an area in Paris, France located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris across the Seine.

The old Palais du Trocadero

It was for the World’s Fair in 1867 that the Chaillot’s hill was arranged.

Then, the (old) Palais du Trocadero was constructed on the hill of Chaillot, international organization’s place during the fair. As the architect of the palace was chosen Gabriel Davioud. The palace looked like the hall of a large concert having two wings, two towers with a “Moorish” style which is that of a mixture of Byzantium and exotic elements. Aristide Cavaille Coll built the first organ in a large size for the palace, which is still in use in the Auditorium Maurice Ravel in Lyon. After sometime, a large aquarium was constructed to include French rivers’ fish, renovated in 1937 and reopened with its new situation on 22 May 2006. Jean Charles Alphand filled the space between the palace and the Seine with gardens and fountains as well.

Two large animal statues of a rhinoceros and an elephant placed at the entrance of Musee d’Orsay were first in the old Trocadero Palais which was demolished.

Today’s Palais de Chaillot

The old Palais du Trocadero was destroyed for the Exposition Internationale in 1937 and the Palais de Chaillot replaced it at the top of the hill. Architects Jacques Carlu, Leon Azema and Louis Hippolyte Boileau designed it in modern style. The Palais de Chaillot continued to have the same architectural features as the old palace. However, unlike the old palais, the structure of the wings are no more dependent buildings.

Theatre National de Chaillot

Some museums are housed in the buildings now :

The Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, the Musee National des Monuments Français (in the eastern part) .One can also enter the Theatre National de Chaillot there.
The Musee National de la Marine and the Musee de l’Homme (in the southern part)

On 10 December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Palais de Chaillot which is now commemorated by a stone known as the esplanade des droits de l’homme (“esplanade of human rights”).

Also the first headquarters of NATO became the Palais de Chaillot…

(Text Source: ‘paris4travel‘)

Palais de Chaillot is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. So, you may want to see;