A Wild Dream Finally Comes True: The Wrapped Arc de Triomphe in Paris

If you visit Paris today, you’ll notice that the Arc de Triomphe has been transformed: it’s donned a shimmering silver-blue “coat” and is adorned with a “red ribbon.” This is the vision of the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, whose audacious dream from 60 years ago has finally come to life.

Sixty years after Christo and Jeanne-Claude first conceptualized the project, the Arc de Triomphe has been wrapped. Credit: Benjamin Loyseau/Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation

After three months of construction, Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe was completely enveloped, using 270,000 square feet of silver-blue polypropylene fabric secured with red cords. Standing 160 feet (49 meters) tall, the Arc de Triomphe is a landmark erected during Napoleon’s reign.

“Dressing” the Arc de Triomphe was a decades-long vision of the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, finally brought to life this summer. Four hundred tons of steel beams were erected around the monument like a metallic jacket, then wrapped in fabric by a team of climbers over several days. Once the project was completed on Thursday, September 16, the new installation will remain on display for just 16 days.

(This article is reprinted from China Daily Online.)