Place de la Concorde / Paris, 1990-2018

 

Marie Christine Dorner won the competition organized by the French Ministry of Culture in 1990 for a new presidential stand facing the Champs Elysées.The structure is fully dismantable and removable and has been re-used since then. It is a giant

French flag floating on the top of the official VIP stand during the military parade. It is the counterpart of the French flag under the Arc de Triomphe on Place de l’Étoile, opposite Place de la Concorde,  both emblems marking the starting line  and the finishing line of the military parade. The protecting textile roof measures 100m by 13m and covers the 1500 seated guests. The canopy is supported by 13 metallic beams fixed to 13 metallic pillars located on the back of the terraces of the stand. These twin legs are held on the ground by 26 metallic tanks filled with concrete and water for a proper ballast of the whole structure.

The beams can be tilted independently  to create the visual effect of a floating canvass. This movement can be adjusted differently every year