After two years’ work the Water Theatre Grove, redesigned by Louis Benech and enhanced with fountain sculptures by Jean-Michel Othoniel, will be open from 12th May 2015. As we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the death of Louis XIV, a great builder and patron of the arts, this work is proof that the Palace of Versailles remains at the heart of contemporary creation. Built between 1671 and 1674 by André Le Nôtre, then destroyed in 1775, the Water Theatre Grove lay dormant for many years. Then, in 2009 the Palace of Versailles decided to create a contemporary garden there that would respect the overall setting of Versailles and its history. The landscaper Louis Benech and the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, winners of the international competition held for the grove’s refurbishment, have created a bold project for which work began in May 2013. ‘You need to hear Louis Benech talking about the ternary pattern in the composition of the Water Theatre Grove and Jean-Michel Othoniel describin

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