Abstract
This talk looks back at a specific feature of French architecture that surprised many in the 1980s: the conduct of special architectural projects, known as "grands projets", under the direct, "regalian" authority of the presidents of the Republic. We'll barely mention the Mitterrand projects, but we'll take a longer look at this phenomenon: six decades that have seen eight presidents, three mayors of Paris and twenty-four governments and political majorities elected in legislative elections.
