La Grande Échappée

The Grand Paris Express includes 68 new stations and as many artworks, conceived in dialogue between artists and architects. In Bry-Villiers-Champigny, the large south-facing glass façade lights up a monumental 24-metre-high fold that hosts La Grande Échappée, an installation imagined by Elsa & Johanna in collaboration with architect Thomas Richez.

Set into the so-called “golden fold” wall, these photographic compositions stage fictional moments of life, at once timeless and familiar. Inspired by the French New Wave, they interact with the architecture and evoke the world of cinema. The work pays tribute to the area's film history, from Louis Daguerre to the INA, and turns the passageway into a narrative, poetic experience.

Commissioned by the Société des Grands Projets, PAAR carried out the engineering studies for the work, including the layout and installation in the station, as well as sampling and prototyping in partnership with Fleury Enseigne.