Into the 21st century

After five years of works and twelve years of closure, the Grand Palais nave reopened its doors in September 2005 for the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days). The spectacle was worthy of the event. The whole space was filled with multicoloured lights, multiplied by angled mirrors. The vault of the nave and the sky were reflected on the ground. A sound composition fused early music with sounds from nature to create a contrasting ambience.

A few months after reopening, the nave was transformed into a funfair! In the centre, a 30-metre high big wheel offered exceptional views of Paris to visitors.

Loyal to its primary function as a palace of fine art, from 2006 the Grand Palais has hosted the International Contemporary Art Fair.

Monumenta was born from an astonishing concept: to invite a contemporary artist to create a work designed for the nave. German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer was the first to accept this challenge in 2007, with his work "Starfall" ("Sternenfall"). In 2008, the American artist Richard Serra presented "Promenade". This work consisted of five steel plates, each 17 metres in height and 4 metres wide, weighing in at 75 tonnes.

The 1966 Picasso exhibition had already proved to be a huge success. In winter 2009, a new exhibition placed the artist among the masters he admired: Ingres, Manet, le Greco, Velasquez, Goya... an impressive catalogue of 210 works. The extraordinary success of this exceptional exhibition meant that opening hours had to be extended: over the last weekend, it was open 24 hours a day. Outside in the cold, queues were extensive: up to 4 hours' wait for brave visitors without reservations. Hot drinks were handed out through the night. 47,949 art lovers passed through the doors in just a few hours.

This magnificent space – covering 1,200 m2 and 17 metres in height, crowned by a superb glass roof and light oak flooring – was restored to its former splendour after two years of works. Designed by the architect Louvet in 1900, it was much in favour with the Parisian elite for its exhibitions and society events when it opened.

As one of France's greatest exports, fashion is regularly on display at the Grand Palais. Offering an exceptional setting for creations from the greatest fashion houses, the Grand Palais is one of the essential venues during Paris Fashion Week. Under the incomparable light of the nave, in the Salon d'Honneur or the Curved Gallery spaces, it's the amazing clothes that take centre stage during spectacular shows.

The Grand Palais is once again home to beautiful cars, having previously held the Paris Motor Show from 1901 to 1961. Since 1992, Peter Auto has organised a classic car rally that crosses the country, and competing vehicles (dating from 1951 to 1973) are exhibited in the nave before they set off.

The Grand Palais had not hosted a horse show since 1957. But horses and riders have once again filled the hall since 2010.