
Are we in Miami? Or Daytona Beach? Or even transported back 100 years to the Paris of the Roaring Twenties? Emblematic of the 1920s, the art deco style is still very much in evidence in many of the capital’s landmarks. Follow the guide!
Le Grand Rex (2ᵉ)

We’re starting with a place that’s very familiar to many. Unquestionably one of the capital’s finest cinemas, the Grand Rex is a true testament to Paris’s art deco heritage. Opened in 1932, the legendary theater is a scaled-down version of New York’s legendary Radio City Music Hall, another landmark of the art movement. And since December 2022, the cinema has given itself a new lease of life, with a facade that’s just as it was in its heyday: a sublime combination of black, gold and columns leading to a huge REX lettering.
Le Louxor (10ᵉ)
Patrick Kovarik/AFP
We stay with the 7th art, with one of the capital’s most atypical buildings, which is also a perfectly acceptable answer to the question “which is the most beautiful cinema in the city?“. The Louxor, with its Egyptian-influenced moldings and decorations, is also a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, opened at the height of the movement in 1921.
The Champs-Élysées theater (8ᵉ)

Since 1913, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées has been lighting up the prestigious Avenue Montaigne with its typical and highly recognizable art deco facade. With its imposing columns, square architecture and sculptures, it easily stands out from the rest of the Haussmann buildings that surround it.
Casino de Paris (9th)
Mistinguett, Tino Rossi, Joséphine Baker and Zizi Jeanmaire: all the icons of music-hall have performed at the Casino de Paris. Nestled in the heart of rue de Clichy, the venue has been in operation since 1880, and today boasts a magnificent Art Deco façade.
The art deco Hôtel de Police in the 12ᵉ arrondissement (12ᵉ)

A change of register, with one of France’s most unique police stations. The Hôtel de Police in the 12th arrondissement, on Avenue Daumesnil, surprises with its statues of Michel Ange’s Dying Slave, 13 in all. Stretching along the roof of the building in pure art deco extravagance, the statues lend a unique dimension to the building. Although the statues only appeared during a renovation in 1991, the 20s are clearly in the spotlight.
Saint-Jean-Bosco church (20ᵉ)
Let’s stay with the unusual, with this other unexpected art deco monument. Right in the heart of the 20ᵉ arrondissement, the Saint-Jean-Bosco church, which dates back to 1937, is built entirely in keeping with art deco architecture. Bright white, it clearly stands out from all other Parisian churches. Even the interior is adorned with mosaics, and the pink stained-glass windows let neon light into the nave. An air of Miami Vice, at the church.
Les Folies Bergères (9ᵉ)

Back to another iconic art deco masterpiece in Paris. The Folies Bergères theater, opened in 1869, nevertheless only acquired its status as an art deco icon in 1926 during a major renovation. It is to this makeover that we owe the building’s magnificent, recognizable façade, which was gilded during a new restoration in 2012.
The art deco glass roof on rue Frochot (9ᵉ)

Now a private games room, the building at 2 rue Frochot once housed a Chinese cabaret and then an auditorium. But it has retained its magnificent cultural heritage through its unique art deco glass roof. Designed to recall Hokusai‘s painting of the wave, this glass roof is a veritable open-air work of art.
Art deco at the Vaneau (line 10, 6ᵉ) and Pelleport (line 3bis, 20ᵉ) stations.

And yes, not all Paris metro stations feature the traditional Art Nouveau-style metallic green entrance. Two stations stand out with more elaborate, Art Deco-inspired entrances. On the left, Vaneau with its imposing entrance. The details of the mosaics are further revealed in this station. On the right, Pelleport and its rounded canopy, tiled with the movement’s characteristic blue mosaics.