Popular Exhibits
- La Porte Monumental Paris: The Triumphal Gateway of the Place de la Concord
The architect René Binet created the triumphal gateway, La Porte Monumental Paris, on the Place de la Concord as a whimsical piece of art and a means to attain tickets . The gateway comprised of a dome and three arches, housed the fifty six ticket offices for the exhibition visitors . As a work or art the monumental gateway was ornate, strange and 'lacking in taste' and considered by exhibition goers to be the ugliest of all the exhibits . The prow of a boat protrudes from the middle of the main arch, directly under the fifteen foot Parisienne statue perched atop the structure . Adding to the overall dislike of La Porte Monumental Paris was the Parisienne, made by Moreau-Vauthier . The Parisienne was ‘regarded as the triumph of prostitution’ because of her flowing robe and modernized figure and was criticized by many visitors of the triumphal gateway . The structure as a whole was adorned with Byzantine motifs and Persian ceramic ornamentation, but the true inspiration behind the piece was not of cultural background . Binet sought inspiration from the science, tucking the vertebrae of a dinosaur, the cells of a beehive, rams, peacocks, and poppies into the design alongside other animalistic stimulus . La Porte Monumental Paris is considered to be a structure of the Salammbô style and ‘the most typically 1900 monument of the entire exhibition' . The controversial gateway became known as ``La Salamanda`` among the public because it resembled the stocky and intricately designed salamander-stoves at the time, only adding to its ridicule .
- The Grand Palais
The Grand Palais, a heavy stone structure on the outside and a light iron and glass arena on the inside, held in it ‘an exhibition hall for sculptures, a track for horse shows, and the Motor Show’ . The Grand Palais combined history and modern elements together; the exterior was reminiscent of the ] style, which focused on the glory of empires, paired with the interior, designed as an Art Nouveau inspired atmosphere . The most recognized Art Nouveau structure within the Grand Palais is the iron staircase whose railings are intricately woven in fluid, organic shapes .
- The Petit Palais
The Art Nouveau inspired structure, the Petit Palais, was constructed by the architect Giraud . The Petit Palais was constructed to hold the exhibition of French art, but is known mainly for its Art Nouveau inspired iron work and general design . Much like the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais combines the styles of Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau . Giraud’s palais is reminiscent of the Grand Trianon and the stable at Chantilly . The widely loved entranceway was painted by Albert Besnard and Paul Albert Laurens, and is known to be the only artifact of decorative troupes . The intricately designed iron flowed into a seamless pattern and paired with the colonnade of pink marble drew in visitors . The piece was associated with the French pavilion .
- The Palace of Electricity: Palais de l`Électrique
The Palace of Electricity moderated all the energy flowing from one exhibit to the other, each exhibit was dependant on the palace in order to run . The Palace of Electricity itself was fitted with five thousand multi-coloured incandescent lamps and eight monumental lamps on its massive one hundred and thirty meter breadth and seventy meter height . Steam driven dynamos pumped the fuel necessary in running the entire exhibition and they were put on display attached to the Palais de l`Éctricité . It was a glowing beacon of life in the exposition quickly becoming the heart of the fair . Aside from the machinery involved in the palace’s attraction people were drawn to its exterior decorations. The top of the building is ornamented with the figure of a chariot led by hippogryphs and spews multi-coloured flames . People were drawn to its extravagant performance and the amount of work needed to run the fair itself. The Palais de l`Electricité was one of the most loved exhibits of the exhibition.
Read more about this topic: Exposition Universelle (1900)