In front of the Eiffel Tower, stands are emerging from a tangle of scaffolding, while at the historic Place de la Concorde, forklift trucks buzz around carrying building materials.
Across and around Paris, plans that have been on the drawing board for seven years since the city won the right to host the 2024 Olympics are turning into reality, 100 days from the start of the world's biggest sporting event.
The flurry of activity, including the hoisting of giant Olympic rings onto the Eiffel Tower, is giving Parisians the chance to glimpse for the first time how the 17-day extravaganza will transform the city.