In the Gerland neighbourhood, part of the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, a 184 acres exhibition area was created,[1] with the Tony Ganier exhibition hall, an Alpine village, a horticultural garden, several pavilions for foreign nations, and dedicated pavilions for the French colonies and the silk industry. On 1 May 1914, the exposition was opened and the French President, Raymond Poincaré, visited the exposition on 22 and 24 May.[2] The exposition was planned to last until 1 November but the First World War disturbed the plans and led to the forced closure of the Austrian and German pavilions on 2 August 1914.[3] After this, many other participants left the exposition and at the official closure on 1 November many pavilions had already been empty for a long time as a result. The remarkable Halle Tony Garnier,[1] was used as an arms factory during the war and afterwards used as slaughterhouse. In 1988, it was reconstructed as an exhibition and event center.
