The iron frame of the Grand Palais was quite modern for its time; It appeared light, but in fact it used nine thousand tons of metal, compared with seven thousand for the construction of the Eiffel Tower.[15] The interior served as a setting for exhibits of painting and particularly sculpture.[2] The facade was in the ornate Beaux-Arts style or Neo-Baroque style, The more modern interior iron framework, huge skylights and stairways offered decorative elements in the new Art Nouveau style,[6] particularly in the railings of the staircase, which were intricately woven in fluid, organic forms.[3]