Since last week Aéroports de Paris has started a giant task: decorating the whole façade of Orly Airport’s south terminal.

Over a huge surface area of more than 3,200sqm – the equivalent of more than 16 tennis courts – the decoration will be made up of a mosaic of selfies taken by the airport’s passengers, partners and nearby residents, together with a giant Bienvenue (Welcome).

“For the past 18 months, Aéroports de Paris has been involved in a major project to modernise the airport,” says Franck Mereyde, Paris-Orly’s managing director.

“This group fresco brings together all the men and women who contribute to day-to-day life at the airport, and is the embodiment of our determination to keep improving the welcome that we extend to passengers from all over the world.”

Over a 10-day period in May, around 7,000 people took part in gathering photographs for this friendly and unifying campaign.

Passengers, employees, people from the airport’s fire service, airline crew members, celebrities such as Muriel Robin, French rapper La Fouine and Jean-Pierre Elkabbach have all agreed to play their part in decorating the façade.

Each photo embodies some aspect of day-to-day life at Paris-Orly and its history: a group of friends leaving to attend a hen party, a basketball team celebrating a win, a child dressed up as Spiderman being reunited with his parents, Toby the Frequent Flyer dog and so on.

All of the portraits have been posted on Aéroports de Paris’ Facebook page using the hashtag #iamtheguest. Participants have been able to share, like and comment on their photos.

While the fresco is being put up and until it is finally revealed next week, internet users will be able to gradually discover the new decoration on the Aéroports de Paris Facebook page www.facebook.com/aeroportsdeparis.

For this campaign, Aéroports de Paris is joining forces with Footballeurs sans Frontières, an association that was set up to help children in need.

Alongside Bruno Putzulu, its honorary chairman, more than a dozen or so celebrities from the worlds of theatre, cinema and sport feature on the façade.

Aéroports de Paris builds, develops and manages airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget.

In 2013, Aéroports de Paris handled more than 90 million passengers and 2.2 million tons of freight and mail at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, and 43 million passengers in airports abroad.

Fresco by numbers

• 17m high and 202m wide –the equivalent of just over 16 tennis courts
• 750 windows
• 10 days to put it up
• 10 rope technicians
• 500m of rope used