I was looking at these before after images and was concerned what happened to these beautiful buildings near the Seine in Paris. Were they destroyed in a war? Has there been any attempt to reconstruct them?
1 Answer
They were not regular construction, but exhibits for the Exposition Universelle (1900), showing different cultures side by side:
Each country funded, designed and on occasion constructed their pavilions, carrying the burden of some of the cost of the fair and the also the glory that followed in the praise of their homeland contributions.
They were demolished afterwards, so no they were not destroyed by war.
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19Fun fact: the Eiffel tower was also intended to be a temporary structure for the World Fair of 1889 ... and intended to be demolished after 20 years. But then wireless technology took hold, and the tall antenna was just too useful to scrap.– FlorisFeb 25, 2018 at 21:23
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1Since the 2nd pic looks somehow very artificial: are these built like movie props, lime Potemkin villages or what? Feb 25, 2018 at 21:59
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1This says of the entrance gate that
La structure générale était en métal et la porte fut entièrement recouverte de staff
which I think means it's metal covered with decorative/moulded plaster, prefabricated and reinforced with fibre. This article somewhat confirms that, showing it used in the facade of something. I don't know for sure about those specific buildings pictured, though, how they're built.– ChrisWFeb 25, 2018 at 23:56 -
8@LangLangC Well, all buildings are artificial, but I know what you mean: the image looks artificial because the colors were added to it by hand. Feb 26, 2018 at 7:21
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1@ChrisH: Ah! That explains why the cooper roofs are "green before their time".(It normally takes 20 years or more for the green patina to set in properly on a copper roof.) Feb 26, 2018 at 14:40