Palais de l'Industrie

The Palais de l'Industrie was a monumental exhibition hall once defined by its massive, neoclassical stone exterior and a central nave constructed of iron and glass. Built for the eighteen fifty-five World Fair, it stood between the Seine River and the Champs-Élysées. Emperor Napoleon III commissioned the project to rival London's Crystal Palace, intending to demonstrate French superiority in industry and the arts. Architects Jean-Marie-Victor Viel and engineer Alexis Barrault designed a structure two hundred and sixty meters long, featuring a main nave that stretched one hundred and ninety meters.