It’s heartwarming to see such a public space, a stately place, being utilised in such a relaxed manner. In some ways I found the forecourt behaving in a very un-Parisian way. Somehow it was being allowed to ‘relax’ and was alarmingly unaware of itself, even daring to be ‘low at heel’. The carousel was covered in shambley rope netting. There were sections of scaffolding piled around. There were children learning to ice-skate.

Who exactly is responsible for this uncharacteristic languor I don’t know, but it certainly was about égalité. Even so this could never be completely the case with architecture like that looking on.