Tour 1: An introduction to Paris’ best new buildings
Thursday 25 October, 2pm
Duration – 4 hours (by coach)
Cost - £35 + £6.13 VAT (£41.13)
This half day tour will cover most of the main new buildings that have been completed in Paris in recent years, so it’s the perfect way of getting your bearings in the city and discovering all the latest architectural treats. Among the buildings we hope to see are the Pompidou (Piano and Rogers), the Arab Institute, Cartier Foundation and Musee du Quai Branly (all by Jean Nouvel), the French National Library (Dominique Perrault), The Cathedral de la Resurrection (Mario Botta), the Unesco Pavilion de la Meditation (Tadao Ando), the American Centre (Frank Gehry), Le Grand Louvre (IM Pei), the Rue de Suisses council houses (Herzog & de Meuron) and the Ilot Candie Saint-Bernard council houses (Massimiliano Fuksas). It will obviously be impossible to see inside all of these, but we hope to gain access to one to two the most interesting ones as part of our whistle stop tour. Please note that if the traffic is bad we may have to omit one or two of the buildings.
Tour 2: The Musée du Quai Branly
Friday 26 October, 4pm
Duration – two hours (on foot and Metro)
Cost – £25 + £4.38 VAT (£29.38) each
(note – this does not include admission to the museum – an extra €8.50)
A detailed tour of Paris’ most dramatic and controversial new building – the Musee du Quai Branly. Designed by Jean Novel the building is located near the Eiffel Tower. This tour will concentrate on a detailed appraisal of the exterior, with its quirky and varied elevations. Delegates will then be able to visit the museum itself with its anthropological exhibits from Oceania, Asia, Africa and the Americas (though our guide will not be able to formally guide you once inside). People on this tour will make their way to the Museum via the Metro with the tour guide, but will have to find their own way back to their hotels or the evening reception afterwards. Please note that the fee covers the external tour only – you will have to pay the additional entrance fee of €8.50 to view the interior.
Tour 3: La Défense
Friday 26 October, 4pm
Duration – three hours
Cost – £25 + £4.38 VAT (£29.38) each
(access to the top of the Grand Arche costs an additional €12)
The La Defense area is Paris’ equivalent of our London Docklands – a huge new commercial area built at the end of the Champs Elysee, a few miles west of the city centre. For the last 30 years the city planners have encouraged new high rise projects here. From the colossal Grand Arche to the new curvy Tour EDF and Exaltis towers, the area now has more than 40 interesting buildings that provide work space for nearly 200,000 Parisians. A number of new buildings are due to be completed this summer. One of the features of the area is its 'outdoor museum'. This includes Calder’s Stabile, Miro’s totems and Moretti’s chimney,…to name but a few of the many original contemporary artworks. The tour will be on foot, with an optional trip to the top of the Grand Arche at the end (attendees will have to pay an additional 12E access fee for this). Those taking part will be escorted by the guide to the area on the Metro. You will then have to make your own way back to your hotel or the evening reception.
Tour 4: Repeat of Tour 1 (see above)
Saturday 27 October, 3pm
Duration – Four hours
Cost – £35 + £6.13 VAT (£41.13)
The coach will pick up from the conference centre and drop delegates off at the evening reception at the end of this tour.
Tour 5: Repeat of Tour 2 (see above)
Saturday 27 October, 3pm
Duration – three hours
Cost – £25 + £4.38 VAT (£29.38) each
(note – this does not include admission to the museum – an extra €8.50)
This tour will be very similar to the one described above as tour 2, except that there will be more time available.
Tour 6: Repeat of Tour 3 (see above)
Saturday 27 October, 3pm
Duration – four hours
Cost – £30 + £5.25VAT (£32.25) each
(access to the top of the Grand Arche costs an additional €12)
This tour will be very similar to the one described above as tour 3, except that there will be more time available.
Tour 7: Bercy Village – an example of Paris’ recent urban regeneration work
Saturday 27 October, 3pm
Cost – £25 + £4.38 VAT (£29.38) each
Duration – three to four hours – on foot and by Metro
This walking tour will look at the Bercy district in Paris’ east end – an area that was formerly the home of the world’s largest wine market. Now it is the city’s premier urban entertainment area with a myriad of boutiques, bars, leisure facilities, shops and funky new houses. Part of the tour will take in the new Parc de Bercy, with its dramatic contemporary landscaping. We will also look at the new Ministry of Finance building (the result of a major international architectural competition). The architects of this gigantic building were Paul Chemetov and Borjo Huidobro. As if passing through a gateway into eastern Paris, the Seine expressway runs under the south wing of the huge structure. Delegates will also be able to visit the POB, a multi sports palace that has been built partially underground. Those on the tour will be escorted to the area by the guide (on the Metro) but will have to make their own way back to their hotels or the evening reception.
Tour 8: The best new buildings on the edge or near to Paris
Sunday 28 October, 9.30am
Duration – eight hours by coach, returning to Gare du Nord at approx 5.30 - 6pm
£60 plus £10.50 VAT (£70.50)
This day long coach tour will take in some of the more interesting modern buildings and sights on the edge of the city. For example the Parc Andre-Citroen (a themed garden with two modern glasshouses in the grounds of the former car factory), Parc de la Villette (Bernard Tschumi’s deconstructivist pavilions to the north of the city), and La Cité Universitaire Internationale de Paris (a private parkland that showcases 20th century architecture. The Cité has several structures built by architects of note, include Le Corbusier, Willem Marinus Dudok and Claude Parent). This tour will also visit the L’Ile saint Germain - an island located in the Seine. In the 1990’s the island was an architectural laboratory and one of the first buildings by Jean Nouvel (the famous BBDO office) was constructed here. We also hope to visit Le Stade de France in the north of the city, designed by Aymeric Zublena and Michel Macary. It may not be possible to visit the interiors of all the buildings, but there will be plenty of opportunity to walk around the various projects and there will be a 40-50 minute break for lunch at a suitable restaurant (not included in the cost).
Tour 9: A homage to Corbusier
Sunday 28 October, 9.30am
Duration – eight hours by coach, returning to Gare du Nord at approx 5.30 - 6pm
£60 plus £10.50 VAT (£70.50)
The tour is likely to begin at the Corbusier Foundation (housed at one of his buildings at Villa La Roche et Villa Jeanneret) where delegates will be able to visit the museum that describes his life and works and look at the unique archives. There will also be a visit to his apartment at Rue Nungesser et Coli, plus several other buildings he completed in the area. There will be a 40-50 minute break for lunch at a suitable restaurant (not included in the cost).