In the thirties, in response to the swell of Art Nouveau shapes and ornaments, the Jazz Age invented Art Deco, a purified style, with geometric shapes bearing the mark of a certain Classicism. Among the best-known examples is the Palais de la Porte Dorée, built for the Colonial Exhibition of 1931, the Palais de Chaillot and the Palais de Tokyo, both inaugurated for the World Exhibition of 1937.
On the Grands Boulevards, the Grand Rex is a splendid example of a cinema that has been “landscaped”: its finely-wrought facade and interior decoration inspired by imaginary cities and towns still bears witness to the audacity of this period.
