Architecture of Paris

The city of Paris is over 2000 years old and having seen several cultures over its history has become a treasure trove of architectural styles.

The Église Saint Germain des Prés and the choir and apse of the Église Saint Nicholas des Champs are examples of Romanesque architecture with the characteristic barrel vaults and arches over squat columns.

The royal abbey church of St. Denis and the Sainte-Chapelle are classic examples of gothic architecture, characterized by the use of flying buttresses, pointed arches, ribbed vaults and stained glass windows.

Renaissance impacted Paris in the 16th century. Most of the Castles, Palaces, Chateaus and fortresses built during this period were of this style.

Baroque and Rococo styles of architecture became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries with the palace of Versailles being a prime example. Paintings, sculptures and architecture were used on facades and interior decorations of churches, chateaux and private residences.

Neoclassicism was popular in Paris between the 18th and 19th centuries. A classic example of this form of architecture in Paris is the facade for Église Saint Sulpice designed in 1733.

Today the French are in the forefront of Modern Architecture. The glass pyramid at the Louvre, Opera Bastille, the Grande Arch at La Defense, the science museum and the buildings in Paris is Jean Nouvel's Institut du Monde Arabe are critically acclaimed structures.

Back to the Top