Sunday, June 16, 2013

Philatelic Photograph: Palais de Chaillot - Paris, France

Interesting Places I've Photographed
Palais de Chaillot
Paris, France
Topic: Philatelic Photographs

GPS: N48° 51.639; E002° 17.448

Quick Description: 

Palais de Chaillot with Jardins du Trocadéro are located directly across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

Long Description:

The original Palais de Chaillot was built on top of Chaillot hill for the Paris World's Fair of 1878. Then called the Palais du Trocadero, it was a large concert hall with two wings and two towers. When Paris was to host the 1937 World's Fair, plans for a new Palais de Chaillot were proposed. It was designed in the modern style by architects: Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, Jacques Carlu and Léon Azéma.

Built on the foundation of the old Palais, it followed the same basic form of its predecessor. Two unconnected towers anchored two wings that formed a very wide arc. In the center is a wide esplanade that affords spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower, across the Seine.
Museums

Several museums and an aquarium (Cinéaqua) are found in the Palais de Chaillot. The south wing holds the Naval Museum (Musée de la Marine) and the The Museum of Man (Musée de l'Homme).

A museum that showcases French architecture, the Cité de L'architecture et du Patrimoine, opened in 2007. The 1,200 seat Théâtre National de Chaillot is located below the esplanade. , it was the center of Parisian culture following World War II and is still a popular location for concerts and plays.

At the foot of the terrace of the Palais de Chaillot are the Jardins du Trocadéro (Trocadero Gardens). The garden is a large rectangle containing Paris' largest fountain pond which is surrounded by statuary.

Palais de Chaillot and Trocadero Gardens from the Eiffel Tower 
The huge arc of the building can be best seen from the second level of the Eiffel Tower. The ground level view on the stamp captures the fountain pond, esplanade, north and south towers, and only a small portion of arc of the buildings wings. 

In 1948 and again in 1951 the United Nations General Assembly met at the Palais de Chaillot. The stamp was issued in 1948 to commemorate the first meeting of United Nations General Assembly in Paris.

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