One hundred years after the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts opened in Paris in 1925, giving Art Deco its name, the City of Architecture and Heritage is celebrating this visionary and influential artistic movement. From monuments and theaters to cinemas, churches, shops, luxury villas, and social housing, this distinctive architectural style remains highly visible throughout the French capital.
To commemorate the centennial of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, several exhibitions are being presented to the public in Paris. While the Museum of Decorative Arts traces "One Hundred Years of Art Deco" through April 26, 2026, the City of Architecture and Heritage presents "Art Deco and Its Architects" through March 29. Spanning 200 square meters, visitors can immerse themselves through drawings, models, and sculptures in the exhibition that opened on April 28, 1925, between the Grand Palais and Les Invalides.
This historic event would later inspire the name given to the Art Deco movement, which was "born around 1910 but designated as such much later, in the 1960s," explains Bénédicte Mayer, the exhibition's curator. Art Deco is recognized by its geometric forms and "characteristic motifs such as water fountains, baskets of fruit or flowers, or stylized roses." The style embraces modernity with "a rejection of copying and pastiche" and the use of innovative techniques and materials that were new at the time, such as reinforced concrete.
Art Deco is also distinguished by "the collaborative work of artists" in stained glass, interior design, and paintings. "This distinguishes it from Art Nouveau: a style recognizable by its floral, rounded, and abundant motifs, often created by a single artist like Hector Guimard, who designed everything from gutters to carpets," Mayer summarizes.
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées stands as the first Art Deco building in Paris. Inaugurated in 1913 in the 8th arrondissement, this venue was designed by Auguste and Gustave Perret and constructed on reinforced concrete pillars. "This technique allows, unlike load-bearing walls, for a complete, unobstructed floor plan that's free for interior arrangements," notes Mayer. The theater displays classic Art Deco codes with "quasi-antique organization and large openings on the facade." The movement's origins actually trace back to 1905 with the building at 25 bis Rue Franklin in the 16th arrondissement, also created by the Perret brothers as "the first residential building where reinforced concrete was used" with load-bearing post techniques.
The Palais de la Porte-Dorée represents what the exhibition curator considers "the most beautiful Art Deco building in Paris." Originally constructed for the Colonial Exhibition of 1931, it now houses the National Museum of Immigration History in the 12th arrondissement. An "absolutely sublime" bas-relief by Alfred Janniot adorns the facade, while the interior design reveals a "rather modernist" approach with metal furniture and ironwork.
The massive Palais de Chaillot, along with the Palais de Tokyo and Palais d'Iéna, was built for the 1937 International Exhibition. Located in the 16th arrondissement, the Palais de Chaillot—one wing of which houses the City of Architecture and Heritage—represents "Americanized Art Deco," according to Mayer's analysis. Jacques Carlu, one of the project's architects, "worked for 10 years in the United States until 1934." The old Palais du Trocadéro, a massive performance hall dating from 1878 that "had the misfortune of blocking the view of the Eiffel Tower," was demolished. A new theater was buried underground, creating space for a wide esplanade: the Human Rights Plaza. The new construction's style reflected "a transposition of American federal Art Deco architecture, like that of the Federal Reserve headquarters by Paul Philippe Cret."
The Hôtel Martel exemplifies the luxurious ensembles often associated with Art Deco. This house-workshop, completed in 1927 by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for sculptors Jan and Joël Martel, represents another example from the 16th arrondissement. The Studio Building, designed by Henri Sauvage in 1932, "draws inspiration from the artist's studio model with large glass windows," describes the exhibition curator. "But Art Deco also includes less expensive housing accessible to everyone," she emphasizes, citing the low-cost housing (HBM) of the red belt, "ancestors of public housing." These accommodations were built "with all modern conveniences" on former military fortifications around Paris after World War I, particularly at Porte de Saint-Cloud, as the capital was overcrowded with numerous shantytowns.
The Saint-Pierre-de-Chaillot Church, constructed from 1931 to 1938 in the 16th arrondissement, draws inspiration from Romanesque architecture "that would be geometrized." Another Art Deco church, Saint-Christophe de Javel in the 15th arrondissement, opened in 1930 near the Citroën factories. This brick edifice features geometric windows and stands as a testament to the style's versatility.
Among other Art Deco representatives in the capital, Mayer lists the Molitor swimming pool, restaurants like Vaudeville, metro exits like Vaneau station, department stores like Samaritaine and Bon Marché, the Madeleine shopping gallery, schools and high schools like the Hélène Boucher educational complex, cinemas like Louxor and Grand Rex, as well as automobile garages, gardens, and numerous post offices. "Art Deco architecture is everywhere in Paris. After Haussmann, this is the period when the most construction took place," insists the exhibition curator, highlighting the movement's profound impact on the city's architectural landscape.
