On Saturday, June 2, 2018, the 83rd edition of the Grand Gala de Cluny will take place. A unique evening where 4,000 people are invited to discover Cluny Abbey, a historic monument, transformed for the occasion.
A redecorated historic monument
In order to best meet the constraints of the site, which is classified as a historic monument, the class Arts et Métiers engineering students is working closely with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux and the architect of historic monuments. Together, they are drawing up the specifications for the decorations and attempting to design furniture-type decorations and self-supporting structures.
The Grand Gala is part of the school's educational approach.
The event, its organization, its decor, and its iconic objects are all part of the educational projects. These moments are decisive because Arts et Métiers students Arts et Métiers benefit from the skills and expertise of teachers and technicians to help them solve any problems they may encounter during production. In the case of the famous ashtray, symbol of the Grand Gala, it is designed and produced in such a way as to use all the workshops on campus: high-speed machining, foundry, forge, woodworking. Technicians also provide advice on the construction of the rooms, particularly those built by first-year students.
In each room, the mark of a class of Arts et Métiers students
The event now features 18 rooms with varied and exotic atmospheres. Each year, one of them is redesigned so that each class of students can leave their mark. Conceived in December 2017, it was the first-year students who were responsible for proposing the "conscripts' room," whose atmosphere remains a surprise for guests at the Grand Gala. Ultimately, each class has created its own room and returns to it every year. This event undeniably forges a generational bond.
