Explore the Unknown with the First Ever Signpost System for Greater Paris

With almost 1200 cultural venues, 300 concert halls, 200 festivals, 300 museums and art centres, Greater Paris already exists -­ but needs to be explored. With this in mind, Magasins généraux (created by BETC) has launched 43 eye-catching signposts that are now taking over famous locations in the centre of Paris. 

Displayed until 5th October 2019, the black and gold 'Par ici le Grand Paris' signs will connect Parisians and visitors alike with neighbourhoods that are often ignored, encouraging the general public to experience and share the hidden gems of Greater Paris. Each signpost will be located at a famous Paris landmark, and will direct crowds to a lesser known and less busy alternative. For example, a sign pointing towards the beautiful yet little known Parc de Sceaux (conceived by Versailles’ landscape architect André Le Nôtre) will be placed next to the more popular Jardin du Luxembourg. 

The design team at Magasins généraux made sure the signs not only indicated Greater Paris’ most alluring destinations, but also the journey time by public transport and the nearest metro station. A short slogan in French, such as: “Van Gogh’s landscapes, in real life” (“Les paysages de Van Gogh en vrai”) for the Musée d’Orsay to Auvers sur Oise sign will also be included to add further context and appeal to the Greater Paris locations. 

All of the destinations will also be accessible via an interactive map on paricilegrandparis.fr, to encourage even more exploration. This is the second collaboration between the Greater Paris news hub, Enlarge Your Paris, and cultural centre Magasins généraux, which began with the launch of Le Guide des Grands Parisiens in 2018. Both projects realise the shared ambition to build a solid Greater Paris identity. 

“Greater Paris is the name we give today to the Paris of tomorrow. It is through this name that Paris really takes on the dimension of a global metropolis. But today Greater Paris remains a distant and vague notion for the majority of Parisians and Francilians. How do we construct the mental map of this territory that we still have trouble understanding? The “Par ici le Grand Paris” signage is a first step for us to meet this challenge,” say the Magasins généraux and Enlarge Your Paris teams. 

'Par ici le Grand Paris' was among the 12 winners of 'Faire Paris,' an accelerator of innovative architectural and urban projects initiated by the Pavillon de l'Arsenal and the City of Paris with the support of the Caisse des dépôts and automotive brand MINI.