The Grand Palais, huge edifice built for the 1900 World’s Fair, originally hosted great art exhibitions. The “Centennale” gathered French works representative of whole 19th-century art. As for the “Décennale”, it focused on artistic productions from all over the world between 1889 and 1900.
Nevertheless, the building had been designed to enable the organization of agricultural and equestrian competitions. Nowadays it is divided in two institutions. The Grand Palais is a space for temporary exhibitions which hosts other events, such as shows and fairs. At the rear, on the west side, stands the Palais de la Découverte (Discovery Palace), a science museum whose facade you can see on the picture. It is currently closed for renovation works but should reopen by the end of the year.