from brutalism to French luxury

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Urban planning

Suffering from a mixed reputation, Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A great opportunity to do it justice!

According to recent international polls,Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport has a pretty good rating. In 2024, the British organization Skytrax, a reference in the aeronautics sector, even ranked it sixth in its ranking of best airports in the world. His study takes into account in particular the ease of checking in, the fluidity at security checks, as well as the quality and variety of the catering and shopping offer. It certainly loses a place, but remains at the top of the list of airports located outside the Asian continent, and therefore, the most practical and comfortable in Europe!

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50 years of Charles de Gaulle airport

Inaugurated on March 8, 1974, the airport is celebrating its 50th anniversary today! Like a flying saucer, Terminal 1 was the first to emerge from the ground, offering at that time an annual capacity of 10 million passengers.

In 1976, it was connected to Paris by line B of the RER (Roissy-Rail at the time). Building on its success, Charles de Gaulle airport was expanded with a second terminal in 1982 then a terminal 3 in 1991. Today, it covers 3,257 hectares, or almost 1/3 of the city of Paris, populated by 500 species, fauna and flora. Now equipped with 9 terminals, it welcomes 67.4 million passengers per year, or more than 100,000 visitors per day.

Towards a futuristic and brutalist Terminal 1

In 1964, four years after the doors of theOrly airportthe project to create a new airport 25 kilometers northeast of Paris is ratified by the Council of Ministers. The design of the new Terminal 1 of Paris-Nord is then entrusted to an architect of barely 29 years old, Paul Andrew. A graduate of Polytechnique, Ponts et Chaussées and Beaux-Arts, the young man has just been employed by the company Aéroports de Paris. A bold but judicious choice!

Considered today as one of the major figures of the international architectural scene of the second half of the 20th century, the genius wanted to erect his airport hub as an emblem of modernity and thus make history. A bet that was partly successful… Characterized by its futuristic and brutalist circular architecture, the building is nicknamed “camembert”, even if “gruyere” would have suited it better.

Evoking the city of Incal imagined in 1981 by Moebiusthe opaque central disk of the building is pierced in its center by a skylight. Seven satellites are connected to it by translucent tubes allowing better distribution of the flow of connecting passengers. The brutalism Having quickly gone out of fashion, the monument was shunned for a time, but after various restorations, it has regained its splendor, particularly at night, thanks to a luminous covering which suits it wonderfully.

VIP lounges and services

If Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport is highly regarded today, it is not for its past audacity, but for its current standing. To fully enjoy the offers proposed in the various halls, you can free yourself from all constraints with a VIP but paying service: Le Meet & Greet By Extime. Personalized welcome, baggage handling, ease of checks, limousine transfer, everything has been planned.

The airport’s website advises its travelers to arrive 1.5 hours before departure time, for a domestic or medium-haul flight, and between 2 to 3 hours before, for a long-haul international flight. You can spend them peacefully in one of the Extime Lounge (Terminal 1, Terminal 2B and Terminal 2D) located in the customs area and open on average from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. — they are… satisfactory, but here, no spa or swimming pool like in Doha or Singapore!

Shopping or arcade games?

The main attractions are located at Terminal 2E which stands out in many ways. Vast, it contains boarding halls K, L and M, all connected by an automatic shuttle. The K is undoubtedly the place to stroll, especially near the Treasures Square. Luxury boutiques surround “L’air du temps”, a monumental 5.5-meter installation by Nathalie Decoster. Unfortunately, you will find few emerging designers there, but all the sure values, the iconic ready-to-wear and cosmetic brands that make Paris shine.

The lights of the capital are also visible from Gate L, inaugurated at the end of 2020, thanks to its large bay windows which have become one of the emblems of Paris Airport. Through it, you can also admire the incessant ballet of planes on the runways: a spectacle in itself.

Inés, the XXL sleeping cat, the light installation of Charles Petillon or even the armchairs in the shape of dunes: here everything ready for daydreaming. The animation is concentrated at the “Luxembourg gardens” level, decorated with Fermob chairs, emblematic of Parisian parks, populated by imaginary birds of Lila Poppins, and where a table football sits: a French invention. You will find them in other terminals, such as Arcade gaming spaces imagined with Neo Legend for a return to the 80s.

Need some peace and quiet?

If you still have some work to finish before taking your flight, you will find all the peace and quiet you need in the amphitheater (it is reminiscent of the one at the Sorbonne, less noisy and more comfortable, and above all equipped with electrical outlets).

Hall M has nothing to envy its counterparts. It contains the business lounge Air Francethe largest in its network, but also a 250 m² museum. Created in 2012 on the initiative of Francis Briest, co-founder and president of the Artcurial auction house, it is completely free and accessible upon simple presentation of your plane ticket, and offers exhibitions mounted in partnership with the greatest French institutions. Thus, works by Rodin, Picasso, Jean Dubuffet, Maillol, Marcel Duchamp, Frank Horva have already been presented there.

Bistronomy in the spotlight

Fine gourmets have not been forgotten, even if the offers revolve exclusively around bistronomy, of good quality. The airport welcomes big names but no gastronomic addresses. Two tables by Guy Martin stand out, The French Taste in terminal 2F and I love Paris in 2E. The latter, designed by star India Mahdavi, offers three complementary spaces: a high-end sandwich shop, a champagne bar and a brasserie-style restaurant with 70 seats.

The Table by Michel Roth at 2BD brings a touch of modernity, on the menu: fillet of scorpion fish bouillabaisse style or fillet of duck, fricassee of seasonal vegetables, sweet and sour apricot, mesclun of herbs. At terminal 1, the Bistrot Benoît pays homage to the legendary hours during which Alain Ducasse worked at Bistrot Benoit, founded in the heart of Paris in 1912.

In terms of catering, entertainment and shopping, Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport celebrates French culture down to its smallest corners, offering a beautiful showcase of the City of Lights, in the style of the famous series produced by Netflix, “Emily in Paris”.

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