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Resting next to the Seine river, the Cite du Cinema is best known for film-making.
By July, though, its cavernous studio spaces will be refashioned into the heart of the athletes’ village for the Paris Olympics.
Athletes from all countries and cultures will be found at the dining hall sitting across from one another sharing meals and stories. It is a multi-cultural melting pot, in which people of all different creeds and colours meet every four years.
Yet the dress code for the hosts is different from their guests.
In September the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made clear that athletes in Paris can represent themselves and their faith, as well as their country.
"For the Olympic Village, the IOC rules apply," an IOC spokesperson told Reuters.
"There are no restrictions on wearing the hijab or any other religious or cultural attire."
The French team, though, have been told something different.