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Current projects
An urban project
An open and green venue
- Artistic design and the visitor experience at the forefront
- Paris : where major events come together
An open and green venue
Artistic design and the visitor experience at the forefront
Paris : where major events come together
An open and green venue
Sustainable development
Viparis and Paris Expo Porte de Versailles are committed to a sustainable approach, as embodied in the Better Events 2030 initiative. The goal is to reduce our environmental footprint - on the right track with the HQE (high environmental quality) and BREEAM (building research establishment environmental assessment method) certifications - and to foster biodiversity with the cration of 72 000 m² of green spaces, including 14,000 m² of urban agriculture and 46,000 m² of green roofs.
The roof of Pavilion 6 an address that will grow on you…
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, known for its trade fairs and congresses, is also poised to become a home for biodiversity. Pavilion 6’s roof will welcome a 14,000 m² high-tech vegetable garden – the largest urban rooftop farm in Europe. Starting in spring 2020, this pioneering initiative will off er visitors a range of activities structured around sustainable food production. To make this bold project a reality, Viparis has teamed up with experts in urban agriculture who support the agro-ecological changeover of urban areas.
Agripolis is transforming the food system economy by installing and operating urban farms that use tested aeroponic and hydroponic growing techniques. Cultures en Ville develops vegetable gardens, taking a holistic approach to environmentally virtuous agriculture – from design to management to teaching – to create an organic, edible and socially-conscious city with a lighter environmental footprint. On the roof of Pavilion 6, Agripolis and Cultures en Ville have created “NU” (Nature Urbain), a unique setting that offers a glimpse of the future of cities and how fruits and vegetables can be grown in accordance with nature’s cycles.
The goal of NU is to make this urban farm a global model for responsible production and urban resilience. By prioritising nutrients used in organic farming – and pesticide-free products grown and harvested at maturity in proximity to consumers – NU’s initiatives eliminate transport logistics and enhance the taste of food.
In high season, some twenty gardeners will harvest nearly one ton of fruits, vegetables and herbs every day, from about thirty different species of plants. To foster a closer connection between city dwellers and their daily diet, NU will provide a number of urban agriculture-related services. To transmit the pleasure and the skills involved in taking care of living things in the heart of a city, it will lease a total of 135 square meters of growing spaces, and off er educational tours and workshops for all. The roof will also house “La Serre” – an events space – as well as a bar and a restaurant operated by Le Perchoir, Paris’s renowned chain of rooftop venues. A genuine crossroads for creative minds, Le Perchoir Porte de Versailles is planning to roll out a truly exceptional dining experience. Its rooftop guests will be served on-site or locally- grown produce as part of a unique drinks and food menu.
Artistic design and the visitor experience at the forefront
The canopy
A lustrous canopy by Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel’s canopy design boldly marks new Pavilion 6’s entrance – a large-scale creation that serves as the complex’s central landmark. Topped with a transparent cover, the triangular tapered steel canopy measures 70 x 60 x 50 metres. A hinged base allows the front point of the triangle to rise to a height of 50 metres, signalling to all of Paris that a new trade show is about to open. During events, the canopy is lowered to 27 metres, thus inviting visitors to glide beneath it to reach the pavilion’s entrance. In this position, it acts as a massive awning, set at a slight 20-degree incline.
Luminous newspapers
The canopy also serves as a new kind of communication medium. Hundreds of “luminous newspapers” are suspended from the frame – vertical banners, ranging in length from 1.5 to 13 metres, with LED displays on one side. These banners provide visitors with information about events in Pavilion 6, and can also be used to create large-scale luminous compositions and animations, thus creating exciting opportunities at the crossroads of art and new technologies.
Arne Quinze
‘‘The Beautiful Dreamer’’, a large-scale artwork by Arne Quinze
In keeping with his wish to capture the beauty of nature and bring it back to the city, the internationally-renowned artist Arne Quinze has created an 11.50-metre high monumental organic sculpture for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. Made from a range of metals, this colourful, poetic bouquet – cast in bronze and integrating natural stone – is located between the Mama Shelter and Novotel hotels near the new Pavilion 6. Its position highlights Gate B, the complex’s new entrance. For over a quarter of a century, Arne Quinze has been working in urban settings, driven by a desire to shape a better future for our cities and to make our surroundings greener and more liveable. Whether in Shanghai, Beirut, Washington, Brussels, Mumbai or Rio, his installations impart a new dynamism to urban development. Viparis has tasked ArtBliss with curating “The Beautiful Dreamer”, Arne Quinze’s first monumental sculpture in France. Thanks to this unique artwork, the complex continues to open up to the city, while bringing culture and nature closer together.
Paris : where major events come together
World-class service
Each year Paris confirms its status as a top destination for large-scale events. As part of these efforts, Viparis is reinventing both its venues and the services it provides.
World-class service
In 2015, Viparis launched Guest Attitude, a commitment by all of our staff to providing the best possible welcome to both our customers and our visitors.
The transformation of Paris Expo Porte de Versailles offers an illustration of this approach. Everything has been designed to facilitate the visitor’s pathway and to provide him or her with the best possible experience:
- the Service Hub offers services and everyday necessities: a reception desk to ensure that visitors receive up-to-date information, a children’s play area, a newsagent and a convenience store
- the venue’s signage has been completely redesigned with new, clearer and more legible directional panels. This includes a digital LED ring, 40 meters in diameter, on which information can be displayed
- we have also completely redesigned our food service offer. Established brands such as McDonald’s and Paul are supplemented with concepts developed especially for the complex’s international visitors
- green spaces for relaxing can be found throughout the complex
- HD Wi-Fi solutions that comply with international standards have been deployed
A place-to-be
According the International Convention and Congress Association’s latest report, Paris remains the most popular destination for international congresses.
Major medical congresses have now been joined by large-scale tech events. In 2013, 2,500 IT and web professionals gathered at Microsoft’s Tech Summit to discover the latest in cloud-related technologies. In 2019, Microsoft Ignite generated similar attendance figures. In the past two years, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles has also hosted events organized by Google, HP, Dell, Salesforce, Amazon, and Huawei, thus confirming the increasing appeal of the French capital for major international tech events.