clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Versailles Gets Modern Update in Shiny New Pavilion

Check out that staircase

The lavish, centuries-old Palace of Versailles in France recently got an update thanks to architect Dominique Perrault and his team. The newly refurbished Dufour Wing now features an extension, creating a new reception pavilion between the courtyards Cour Royale and Cour des Princes, and a grand staircase, which is entrenched in the ground.

Visitors will now enter and exit the palace through the Pavillon Dufour, a sleek, new modern reception area, which begins in the Chandeliers Gallery on the ground floor. The long hall features gold chandeliers and metal sheets draped from the high ceilings, which leads directly onto the Royal Courtyard.

A path leading to a lower hall takes visitors through a museum shop, restrooms, and a coatroom, or to the gardens, while the second floor features a new Alain Ducasse cafe, and the third floor a 150-seat auditorium. Take a look at the video and images below.