{"id":19927,"date":"2013-12-16T20:47:43","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T19:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=19927"},"modified":"2017-10-20T16:21:27","modified_gmt":"2017-10-20T14:21:27","slug":"a-trip-to-paris-visiting-the-french-capitals-most-famous-attractions-part-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/a-trip-to-paris-visiting-the-french-capitals-most-famous-attractions-part-9\/","title":{"rendered":"A Trip to Paris: Visiting the French Capital\u2019s Most Famous Attractions (Part 9)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We discovered la Cit\u00e9 des Sciences et de l\u2019Industrie<\/i><\/b><\/a> (the City of Sciences and Industry) and talked a little about le Parc de la Villette<\/i><\/b> (Villette Park) in the last post. Today, we\u2019ll be focusing on one interesting attraction located just a few steps from la Cit\u00e9: La G\u00e9ode<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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La G\u00e9ode is a unique building called une sph\u00e8re g\u00e9od\u00e9sique<\/i><\/b> (geodesic sphere). Geodesics\u2014also known as great circles\u2014are made of interconnected triangles that form a shell structure. If you\u2019ve been to a playground, you might have seen similar geodesic structures in the shape of a half-dome. La G\u00e9ode is different in that it is immense, is enclosed and is perfectly spherical. It rests on une base de b\u00e9ton<\/i><\/b> (a concrete base) weighing 6,000 tons. There are several examples of geodesic spheres and domes throughout the world, the most famous of which are Spaceship Earth<\/i> at World Disney World and the Montr\u00e9al Biosphere<\/i>. The G\u00e9ode is unique, however, because of its mirror-like finish that glistens in the sunlight and reflects its surroundings.<\/p>\n

Designed by G\u00e9rard Chamayou and Adrien Fainsilber, la G\u00e9ode opened its doors on May 6, 1985, a year before the opening of la Cit\u00e9 des Sciences et de l\u2019Industrie. The structure is made up of 6,433 triangles en acier inoxydable poli<\/i><\/b> (polished stainless steel triangles) with a diameter measuring 36 meters, l\u2019\u00e9quivalent d\u2019un immeuble de douze \u00e9tages<\/i><\/b> (the equivalent of a twelve-story building). Inside you will find a 400-seat IMAX theater with a giant hemispherical screen spanning 1000 square meters that immerses you fully in a 180-degree image. Movies usually last environ une heure<\/i><\/b> (around an hour) and include a wide selection of documentaries, concerts, live broadcasts, 3D animation and more. This unique visual experience is augmented by the 21,000 watt twelve point surround system including quatre haut-parleurs d\u2019infra-graves<\/i><\/b> (four subwoofers) measuring 55 cm in diameter. This is what you wish your home theater sounded like!<\/p>\n

La G\u00e9ode is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm. Tickets for une s\u00e9ance de cin\u00e9ma<\/i><\/b> (a show) are 12\u20ac and there is a tariff r\u00e9duit<\/i><\/b> (reduced rate) for 9\u20ac. Every movie is offered in English if you\u2019re willing to wear un casque<\/i><\/b> (headphones) which are available for 1\u20ac \u00e0 l\u2019accueil<\/i><\/b> (at the front desk), but what better way to brush up on your language skills than to watch a movie in French?<\/p>\n

Much like la Cit\u00e9, la G\u00e9ode is fun for the whole family and its proximity to la Cit\u00e9 makes it a must-see attraction. The surrounding areas offer different activities including boat rides, concerts, theater, bike rides, un cirque<\/i><\/b> (a circus) and more. If you plan to visit Le Parc de la Vilette, it\u2019s probably best to dedicate one full-day to the experience. Even then, you probably won\u2019t have a chance to see everything. Try to at least visit la Cit\u00e9 and la G\u00e9ode and make sure you bring un blouson<\/i><\/b> (a jacket) if you plan to walk around the park. This is Paris, not la C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur<\/i><\/b> (the French Riviera)!<\/p>\n

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We discovered la Cit\u00e9 des Sciences et de l\u2019Industrie (the City of Sciences and Industry) and talked a little about le Parc de la Villette (Villette Park) in the last post. Today, we\u2019ll be focusing on one interesting attraction located just a few steps from la Cit\u00e9: La G\u00e9ode. La G\u00e9ode is a unique building…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":28531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19927","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t