French Presidency of the European Union, Paris

The Arc de Triomphe is a special venue in Paris. It is not easy to access and crossed on both sides by winds which can accelerate and blow in random directions at times. In this context there are numerous problems. How to hang up the flags without drilling any new holes and just using the 3 holes available. How to lower the flag in case of high winds. How to stabilise the flags in their planes while letting them blow in the wind. The first stage was to devise a kinematics scheme for mounting and dismounting the flags and bunting. The second was to design the lifting winch and all the fittings enabling the French and European flags to be stabilised. The studies were carried out in close collaboration with the Bureau Veritas Chief Engineer specialised in temporary structures, Mr. Christian Lapeyre.