Visits to the wrapped version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris are being allowed for the first time this weekend - and thousands of curious admirers have been taking advantage to check out Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s installation close up.
ADVERTISEMENTVisitors are being to get up close to the fabric-blanketed the Arc de Triomphe in Paris for the first time this weekend.
The giant 'Arc de Triomphe: Wrapped' installation, designed by the late artists Christo and Jean-Claude, has seen the entire structure covered in silvery material.
Thousands of curious admirers have been taking advantage of the nearly three-week opening to check out the modified monument in person.
“Christo is somewhere amongst us,” said one Parisian. “We love it, it's fabulous."
The couple conceived the project while living in Paris in 1961. It was finally realised just this month, more than a year after Christo passed away.
The famous Napoleonic arch dominates the Champs-Élysées avenue. Those who climb the 50 metres to the top can step on it when they reach the roof terrace.
Bulgarian-born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon in Paris in 1958 and they later became lovers. Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, and Christo in May last year.