La Grande Arche de la Defense
About La Grande Arche de la Defense
Grande Arche
Paris, France
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With its Grande Arche (its centerpiece) la Défense is at the end of a long axis with a perspective beginning at Louvre Museum, along Champs Elysées. Arc de Triomphe is aligned with Grande Arche. The Grande Arche itself was completed in 1989 and is a near perfect cube (110 meters high, 108 meters wide, and 112 meters deep). The view of Paris from Arche's elevator is spectacular.
A 300 meter tower, La Tour Signal, designed by Jean Nouvel is under construction. When finished, in 2013, it will reaffirm La Défense as an area with a vibrant Parisian life outside of the traditional center of Paris.
This business centre and residential quarter in the Western outskirts of Paris, consists mainly of modern towers and buildings where the 20’s most powerful French enterprises have their main office. It started to be built in 1958 to direct business development away from historic Central Paris. About 150,000 people work at Défense.
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First To Review:
Jan 29, 2009
This is an impressive structure that stands in stark contrast to other monuments and structures in Paris. The view from the top is really unique and worth the effort. This is a great location for people watching. Take the time.
From the web:
Located just beyond the city limits, on the other side of the Seine from the 17th arrondissement, the Grande Arche de La Défense anchors the eastern end of the historic axis that stretches from the Louvre down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. One of the Grands Projets (Mitterrand’s 15 billion franc program to provide a series of modern monuments to symbolize France’s central role in art, politics, and world economy at the end of the twentieth century), the modern triumphal arch is actually a 35-story office building—a monument to capitalism? The area surrounding La Défense is home to modern office towers housing 14 of France’s top 20 corporations. Von Spreckelsen’s scheme was chosen by Mitterrand in an international competition for its 'purity and strength'. Von Spreckelsen backed out of the project before its completion, reportedly disheartened by red tape and having grown displeased with his own design. He died before its completion. Tourist guides tout the arch’s impressive dimensions and statistics: each side is 110m long; the arch contains 95,000 square meters of office space. It is clearly the grandest and the most ‘moderne’ of the Grands Projets. Amidst the superlatives, the most pleasant aspect of the scheme is its surprising (and surprisingly subtle) asymmetry; it is rotated six degrees off center of the axis, breaking the symmetry of its position extending the line of the Champs Elysées. The rotation was not part of the original design, but was done so that the piles supporting the structure could avoid the network of tunnels under the site.
From the web:
Located just beyond the city limits, on the other side of the Seine from the 17th arrondissement, the Grande Arche de La Défense anchors the eastern end of the historic axis that stretches from the Louvre down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. One of the Grands Projets (Mitterrand’s 15 billion franc program to provide a series of modern monuments to symbolize France’s central role in art, politics, and world economy at the end of the twentieth century), the modern triumphal arch is actually a 35-story office building—a monument to capitalism? The area surrounding La Défense is home to modern office towers housing 14 of France’s top 20 corporations. Von Spreckelsen’s scheme was chosen by Mitterrand in an international competition for its 'purity and strength'. Von Spreckelsen backed out of the project before its completion, reportedly disheartened by red tape and having grown displeased with his own design. He died before its completion. Tourist guides tout the arch’s impressive dimensions and statistics: each side is 110m long; the arch contains 95,000 square meters of office space. It is clearly the grandest and the most ‘moderne’ of the Grands Projets. Amidst the superlatives, the most pleasant aspect of the scheme is its surprising (and surprisingly subtle) asymmetry; it is rotated six degrees off center of the axis, breaking the symmetry of its position extending the line of the Champs Elysées. The rotation was not part of the original design, but was done so that the piles supporting the structure could avoid the network of tunnels under the site.
Nov 13, 2009
La Defence Paris is the biggest financial city financiers of France. Besides all modern buildings, you will find a lot of shopping malls. This city is in perpetual movement, where everything is opened even on Sundays!
If you rise in the top of the Arc of La Defence, you will see a magnificent sight on Paris there.
If you rise in the top of the Arc of La Defence, you will see a magnificent sight on Paris there.
Sep 19, 2008
Business district but has the best shopping without the hefty prices found in central Paris. For chic clothing stores and top of the line cosmetics in wholesale chemists it is the place to shop on a budget.
Oct 12, 2009
Romance, beauty, wonderful food and music. Its been a long time since I've been to Paris but it still holds a special place in my heart. I still day dream about the cafes and people watching...
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