The Palace of Jena

Auguste Perret designed the Palais d'Iéna as «a shelter for all purposes». Built between 1937 and 1946 by Auguste Perret, the Palais d'Iéna opened its doors in 1939 as a museum of public works. From 1956 to 1958, it became the seat of the Assembly of the French Union.
Since 1959, it has been the seat of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, the Republic’s third constitutional assembly.
Come and discover the splendid hypostyle room with its 18 truncated columns, the magnificent hemicycle or its monumental staircase. This work by Auguste Perret is remarkable for the size of the spaces and the quality of the materials, especially the concrete. Although only a part of Perret’s plans was carried out (the rotunda on Place d'Iéna and the wing along Avenue d'Iéna, both embellished on the outside with fluted columns), the construction of the section bordering Avenue du Président Wilson was done by Paul Vimond, student of Auguste Perret, who tried to be faithful to the approach of his teacher. The Palais d'Iéna was completed by a third wing, different from the Perret style, designed by the architect Gilles Bouchez. The building houses murals by Souverbie as well as many elements of the original furniture.