10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (2024)

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (1)

From the Grands Boulevards to the Musée des Années 30, (re)discover Art Deco in all its splendour.

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  3. 10 art deco temples in Paris and its region

The style that has become a symbol of the Jazz Age profoundly marked Paris and its region. Discover the cultural spaces, theatres and shops that typify this monumental architectural style. Art Deco took its name from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes that took place in Paris in 1925. It has left its imprint on many creative fields, from fine art to architecture, decoration to fashion and photography, and is embodied by artists as different as René Lalique, Man Ray, Tamara de Lempicka, Cartier, Paul Poiret and Robert Mallet-Stevens. Off we go on a visit of the places that bear the hallmarks of this very unique style.

Our favourite Art Deco event

Around the Eiffel Tower

The Palais de Tokyo was built in a sober and powerful style with its two symmetrical wings - today housing two art centres, the Musée d'art Moderne in the eastern wing, and the eponymous Palais de Tokyo in the western wing - a peristyle, a reflective pool, an immense terrace, a monumental staircase and a bas-relief by Alfred Janniot.

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (2)

Nearby, the Palais de Chaillot is considered the most important monument of the 1930s in Paris. Overlooking the Jardins du Trocadéro, its two neo-classical pavilions offer a commanding view of the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars. The interior decoration, carried out by 71 painters and sculptors, presents a wide palette of all Art Deco's trends. Today, the palace hosts the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine in its Paris wing, and the Musée de l'Homme in its Passy wing, as well as the prestigious Théâtre National de Chaillot.

Over to the Bois de Vincennes, where the nearby Palais de la Porte Dorée, the only remaining vestige of the 1931 Exposition Coloniale, is equally monumental: covering 16,000m², it has a façade in bas-relief by Alfred Janniot measuring over 1,000m², and a tropical aquarium. Today it is home to the Musée National de l'Histoire de l'Immigration.

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (3)

Museums pay homage to Art Deco

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, an exceptional museum on Rue de Rivoli, in the heart of Paris, holds one of the most important collections of decorative arts in the world. In its chronological itinerary, going from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era, more than 10 rooms are devoted to Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

If the Musée d'Orsay is best known for its collection of Impressionist paintings, it also has a collection of objects in the Art Deco style that are worth lingering over.

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (4)
10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (5)

The Musée des Années 1930 in Boulogne-Billancourt is bursting with Art Deco treasures. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, posters, architectural models of buildings from the 1930s and Art Deco furniture are sure to captivate visitors.

The Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace du Bourget, the most important aeronautical museum in France and one of the largest in the world, hides a treasure of the Art Deco style. With its monumental columns, its vaulted glass ceiling, its marble and wrought-iron staircases and its magnificent clock, the Salle des Huit Colonnes, recently renovated to bring back all its 1930s opulence, is a true architectural gem.

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (6)
10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (7)

Around the Grands Boulevards

Those cathedrals of commerce, Paris's department stores, including Printemps, Galeries Lafayette or Le Bon Marché, underwent a transformation in the 1920s, passing from the Art Nouveau to the Art Deco style.

From the end of the 19th century, architects and engineers (including Gustave Eiffel) used glass and iron to create cupolas and glazed roofs to illuminate the vast sales halls.

Beginning in the 1930s, they rethought the spaces and the store design, the better to display the new products, whose manufacture was by now industrialised. Art Deco, with its straight lines, its symmetry and its artistic but functional aspect, was the perfect choice.

10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (8)

Our selection

Musée d’Orsay

Art & culture

Set in a former railway station, the magnificent Musée d’Orsay is known across the world for its unique collection of Impressionist paintings.

Palais de Tokyo

Art & culture

A stone’s throw from Trocadéro, the Palais de Tokyo has established itself as Europe’s largest contemporary art centre. More than a museum, it is a living art space in constant transformation.

Musée national de l'histoire de l'Immigration - Palais de la Porte Dorée

Art & culture

Inside a striking Art Déco edifice, the National Museum of Immigration History houses a unique multicultural centre where learning goes hand in hand with sharing.

Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée

Leisures

Little fish and large crocodiles await you near Paris, to help children and their parents discover the magic of the tropical ocean depths and their secrets.

Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine

Art & culture

Dive into the fascinating history of architecture at the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, located just opposite the Eiffel Tower, and discover how it both influences and reflects our societies.

Printemps Haussmann

Shopping

This Parisian temple of chic, glamour and dreams never stops reinventing itself, in a perpetual quest to better showcase French style and living and offer a unique shopping experience.

Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann

Shopping

The world-famous department store on Boulevard Haussmann is one of Paris’s emblematic sites, conveniently situated just next to the Opéra Garnier.

Museum of Air and Space

Embark on a journey into one of the world’s largest aeronautic museums, and step into the heart of aviation and spaceflight exploration.

Bon Marché Rive gauche

Shopping

The most exclusive Parisian department store provides the ultimate reference for fashion, home furnishings and gastronomy.

MAD - Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Art & culture

With over a million works of art, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs' 7-storey collection is one of the largest in the world. It's a plunge into the French art of living, from the Middle Ages to the present day, from the everyday to the exceptional.

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  • Copyright image: Elena Gandini Galeries Lafayette
10 art deco sites in Paris region | Themed guides | VisitParisRegion (2024)

FAQs

Where is the best place to see Art Deco? ›

Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District

The styles of the 1920s and 1930s remain vibrant in the Art Deco Historic District in Miami Beach, home to the nation's largest concentration of the sleek and bright architectural style.

Where is Art Deco most commonly found? ›

Many of the iconic buildings in New York City were built at the height of the Art Deco movement. In countries such as India, Cuba, and the Philippines, Art Deco architecture continued to be popular and commonplace well into the 1960s. Dozens of cities in the world are heralded for their Art Deco architecture.

What was the first Art Deco building in Paris? ›

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1910–1913)

Apollon et sa méditation entourée des 9 muses (Apollo and His Meditation Surrounded by the 9 Muses), bas-relief on the façade of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées by Bourdelle (1910–1912). This work represents one of the earliest examples of what became known as Art Deco sculpture.

Is the Eiffel Tower Art Deco? ›

Paris, a city that stands as a living testament to the legacy of Art Deco, reveals its architectural treasures around iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Grands Boulevards.

Where is the Art Deco capital of the world? ›

Napier is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world.

Where is the birthplace of Art Deco? ›

Art Deco developed first in France, and attracted international notice through a government-sponsored exposition held in 1925. The exciting array of works on display included a wide range of avant-garde, luxurious, and lighthearted artistic modes.

What is the largest Art Deco building in the world? ›

New York City's Empire State Building

The Empire State Building in New York City stands as the largest and one of the most iconic Art Deco buildings globally.

What are the three types of Art Deco? ›

They are: Zigzag, or Jazz Moderne; WPA, or Classical Moderne; and Streamline Moderne. This is the earliest style of Art Deco architecture. In the U.S. it traces its origins to the Chicago Tribune competition of 1922 and the rendering studies of Hugh Ferriss.

What is the difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco? ›

Where Art Nouveau celebrates elegant curves and long lines, Art Deco consists of sharp angles and geometrical shapes. Although often confused, the two movements mark entirely different directions in the development of modern art.

Who made Art Deco famous? ›

Designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann is considered to be the pioneer of the Art Deco movement. Together with Pierre Laurent, he was the founder of a company specialising in the production of luxury home items and interior design.

What is the Art Deco named after? ›

Named after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925, art deco can be seen as successor to and a reaction against art nouveau. Seen in furniture, pottery, textiles, jewellery, glass etc. it was also a notable style of cinema and hotel architecture.

What is the painting underneath the Eiffel Tower? ›

Eifel Tower | Paris. For the 2016 edition of Nuit Blanche, the nocturnal art trail through Paris, Cleon Peterson painted a monumental five hundred square meter work of art beneath the Eiffel Tower, one of the world's most visited monuments.

How do you recognize Art Deco? ›

Art Deco objects often showcase simple, clean shapes, usually with a “streamlined” look; ornament that is geometric or stylized from representational forms such as florals, animals, and sunrays; and use of man-made substances, including plastics, vita-glass, and reinforced concrete, often combined with such natural ...

What is the largest building in the world? ›

World Records

At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records: Tallest building in the world.

What city has the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings? ›

Fun fact: Miami is still the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world!

Is the Art Deco district in Miami worth visiting? ›

This is a fun area to walk along at night and see all the art deco buildings and old cars parked outside. It felt reasonably safe in the early evening and there are lots of restaurants and bars. During the day the beach is across the road. It's hard up explain how beautiful this area of Miami is.

What is the most prominent Art Deco structure in the world? ›

The Empire State Building (New York)

Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, the Empire State Building is among the most famous Art Deco skyscrapers in the world. The sky-high structure was built between 1930 and 1931 and was the tallest building in the world when it was completed.

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