Replacing the
"crab" (below, right), an older Oriental palace, the Palais de Chaillot was built in 1937 by architects
Carlu, Boileau and Azema as one of the highlights of the 1937 French last colonial
exhibition.
The Palais de Chaillot was named after the Chaillot hill on
which it is built. The Chaillot hill on the right bank dominates the Seine river and
spectacularly faces the Eiffel tower on the left bank (right).
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The Eiffel tower seen from Palais de Chaillot
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The Palais de Chaillot
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The Palais de Chaillot is also named the Trocadero as a
reminder of the French victory in Spain in 1823. At that time, the French king intervened
in Spain to restaure the Spanish absolute monarchy, an action very far from the 1789
French revolution ideas about human rights.
The architecture of the Palais de Chaillot is representative
of 1937 modern architecture. Two large pavilions are separated by a large terrace
providing spectacular views on the Eiffel tower.
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The Palais de Chaillot hosts the Navy museum and the 1200 seats
Théatre National de Chaillot (the former TNP).
The TNP theater was a center of Parisian
cultural life after the second world war under the leadership of Jean Vilar and with
actors such as Gérard Philippe and Maria Casares.
The Café
de l'Homme is the Trocadero restaurant with the best view on the
Eiffel tower.
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The old Palais de Chaillot
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