Business district of Paris. Residential complex "La Defense"

La Défense is a major European business center and residential area located in the western suburbs of Paris. There are more than one and a half thousand firms, companies, banks, offices and headquarters here. This “quarter of the twenty-first century” impresses tourists with high-rise buildings of various geometric shapes, avant-garde sculptures and large shopping centers that create a high-tech atmosphere. The history of the interesting La Défense quarter begins with [...]

La Défense is a major European business center and residential area located in the western suburbs of Paris. There are more than one and a half thousand firms, companies, banks, offices and headquarters here. This “quarter of the twenty-first century” impresses tourists with high-rise buildings of various geometric shapes, avant-garde sculptures and large shopping centers that create a high-tech atmosphere.

History of an interesting quarter Defense begins in the middle of the last century, when the first business centers and residential areas appeared in this place. Famous French and world sculptors, architects and engineers participated in the implementation of the original project. The name of the quarter comes from the bronze statue of soldiers installed here.

Be sure to pay attention to the main attraction of La Defense - Large Arch of Defense, which reflects the famous Arc de Triomphe. This stunning cube-shaped structure is filled with many offices, but at the top there is an observation deck with expansive panoramic views of Paris and the exhibition hall. Nearby there is a twelve-meter bronze sculpture “ Finger» Cesar Baldaccini.

This wonderful quarter is home to many skyscrapers, the most impressive of which is the Total 190 meters high. Next to it you will see an elegant tower Arevu, made in black tones. The tower completes the record trio of skyscrapers Gunn in the shape of a Greek cross.

There is a huge pedestrian area in the area, providing for pleasant walks. At night, the illuminations are always lit here - an impressive light show.

La Défense, 92800 Puteaux, France

Take the M1 metro to La Défense station

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In August 2013, I was once again lucky enough to visit France. The main reason was the invitation of Vlad and Lada, who went on their honeymoon to Paris. There was free time in the schedule, and Yana and I, who found ourselves in this mecca of lovers for the first time, decided to start getting acquainted with the city not from the most banal sights. Although it is worth recognizing the Eiffel Tower and we, of course, visited, but today all the laurels will go to others.

There is one wonderful place in Paris, surprisingly different from the historical center. It will especially appeal to lovers of modern architecture. This is the La Defense district. Many people call it the Manhattan of Paris. All major business centers are concentrated here, as well as buildings and monuments made in the Art Nouveau style.

Functionally, Defense is a retail and office area with a small permanent resident population.

The place where the La Défense district is located today was formerly called Chantecoq, which translated from French means “The Song of the Roosters”. And only windmills stood there before. It was on this hill that French soldiers defended the city from the Prussians in 1871. Later, the monument La Defense de Paris (translated as the defense of Paris) was erected on this site in honor of their courage, giving its name to the whole area that grew up around it. Today, near the monument there is a beautiful musical fountain.

For the first time, the idea of ​​​​creating an unusual quarter came to the mind of French President Charles de Gaulle. The main goal of the project was to relieve the city center from endless traffic jams. To achieve this, it was proposed to move most business offices and financial institutions outside the city limits.

The project was realized in 1958, when the first building was erected on the site of the future La Défense quarter. By 1963, the outlines of the area began to be seen more clearly. By 1970, five more skyscrapers and the REP expressway were completed, connecting La Defense with the Arc de Triomphe and the Paris Opera.

In 1973, development of the area stopped due to the oil crisis. The project was revived only in 1978.

The construction of the Grand Arch in 1989 brought particular fame to La Défense. The walls are lined with Carrara marble and glass, and underneath there is a structure that imitates the free fall of fabric (Cloud). The arch, together with the Montparnasse Tower and the Eiffel Tower, form the architectural axis of Paris.

The most famous skyscrapers

The first skyscrapers in the Defense area appeared in the 50s of the last century. Then it was something completely new for France. Today, about 50 of the tallest buildings in Paris are concentrated here. 5 high-rise buildings exceed 180 meters in height.

The skyscraper of the UAP company was built in 1974, and its height was 159 meters. The shape of the building was made in the form of a star with three rays, which were supposed to symbolize the merger of three insurance companies. In 1996 it was renamed the AXA tower. This happened after the AXA company bought out UAP. A major reconstruction of the building began in 2007 and continued until 2011. The appearance has undergone dramatic changes. In addition, the already not small skyscraper grew to 231 meters (including the spire). Today, the First Tower is the tallest building in France.

The second tallest structure in Defense is the TOTAL tower. Its construction was completed in 1985. The height of the building is 190 meters (including a three-meter antenna). At the current site of TOTAL, a twin tower to the Areva Tower was originally supposed to be built. However, due to the 1974 crisis, investors soon canceled their order. Total is a third generation skyscraper. In contrast to previous projects, energy consumption and distribution of other resources are more rationally organized in it, although it is certainly inferior to the Bosco Verticale skyscraper in Milan with its vertical forest.

The third tallest skyscraper in Defense is the T1 tower. Its construction was completed in 2008, and its height is 37 floors or 185 meters. The fourth and fifth places in the ranking are occupied by the Areva and Granite towers with a height of 184 and 183 meters, respectively. The skyscrapers of La Défense are visible already from the Champs-Elysees, but the area near the bridge over the Seine or from the Arc de Triomphe looks especially advantageous.

Of course, we celebrated Yana's first visit to Paris with a photo shoot. Regular readers of my wedding blog have already appreciated all the charm and beauty of my wife.

Unusual houses

Looking at the unusual buildings in the Défense quarter, it is difficult not to pay attention to the design of the National Center for Industry and Technology - CNIT. This structure made of steel, glass and concrete has only three points of support and is a triangle with arched sides. The length of each side is more than 200 meters.

About 4 thousand mirror panels were used to decorate the facade of the Manhattan Tower (height 110 meters). Reflecting everything around it, the tower seems to move in space. At the top of the former SAUP insurance concern, now First Tower, there is a huge clock with a barometer. Expected weather is coded with color bars. If a clear sunny day is expected, the bar is colored green, if precipitation is expected - red, and if partly cloudy - blue. The facade of the former automotive giant FIAT, now Areva Tower, is finished in black polished granite, aluminum and smoked glass. Residential buildings are also worthy of attention, for example, the Defense 2000 building, expanding at the bottom (136 meters high), the cruciform Gan tower (179 meters high) and the elliptical Eva (109 meters high).

What else to see?

In addition to skyscrapers and houses with unusual architecture, La Défense is worth paying attention to the large number of sculptures of modern art. They are located right on the street, but always in very unusual places.

Walking through the streets and squares of this unique quarter, it is difficult to guess the next place where you will encounter a work of art. The most obvious sculptures of L'araignee rouge by the American Alexander Caldera and Deux personages by the Spaniard Joan Miró are located on Place de la Défense. Also located here is Europe's largest shopping center, Les Quatre Temps or the Four Seasons. A large number of different shops will help you make the necessary purchases in one place, combining this with sightseeing.

No matter what you do - explore ultra-modern skyscrapers or relax in cozy public gardens with fountains - it will be very difficult to get lost. On almost every corner you can find a special machine that will help you determine your location or print out the required route. Among other things, in La Défense you can visit the Automobile Museum. The exhibition features about 100 cars with original settings. In the museum you can learn a lot of interesting things from the history of the automotive industry. The museum is open daily from 12-30 to 19-30. And cinema lovers will be able to enjoy the latest films on a large panoramic screen in the IMAX cinema, which is open to the public every day.

Great arch

The main attraction and symbol of the Defense district is the Great Arch of Brotherhood. In 1982, French President François Mitterrand announced a competition for the best design of a triumphal arch, which was intended not to honor military victories, but to pay tribute to human humanity throughout the world. About 500 applications were submitted to the competition, from which the design of Johann Otto von Spreckelson, a Danish architect, was selected.

Construction began the following year, 1983, and continued for almost seven years. The grand opening took place in July 1989, timed to coincide with the celebration of the Bicentennial Revolution and was accompanied by a military parade.

Externally, the Great Arch looks like an almost regular cube with a passage in the middle. Its dimensions: height – 110, width – 108, depth – 112 meters. The Arch is open daily from 10-00 to 20-00 in the summer from April to August, at other times from 10-00 to 19-00. We didn’t climb it, we left it for our next visit.

For reference, entrance to the Arch is paid: for adults – 10 euros, and for children – 8 euros. More detailed information about the Grand Arch of Defense can be found on the official website: www.grandearche.com (you can select the Russian page). In addition, the site allows you to print a coupon that gives you the right to a discount of 1.50 euros.

Actually, Parisians and guests of the capital feel great on the steps of the arch, from where an excellent panorama opens up.

As you guessed, lovers and romantics are attracted to this place like a magnet. Here’s a great idea for you (I’m addressing the male half of readers) on how to surprise your beloved.

The location also attracts photographers.

Where is this hero going, what worries does he have in his soul, and who is this woman?

Some buildings are still in the design stage.

For fellow photographers, it will be useful to know that the sun sets in Paris behind the Grand Arch area, and rises on the axis of three arches, which begins at the Louvre. I assume that at dawn the Defense will look no less beautiful, and I definitely plan to check this moment on my next visit.

On the left side of the arch you can see a landfill, a construction site and a cemetery.

Magical moment.

Transport solution

When designing the area, a unique solution was found, especially for megacities with traffic and known problems with traffic jams. To date, it still has no analogues. Defense stands on a giant concrete platform, under which the entire transport interchange is located.

And this is the Defense tunnel, and a parking lot for 1200 places, and bus stations, and a REP transport station, and much more. On the sides of the platform there are high-rise buildings mixed with pedestrian and green areas. The area is no less beautiful, but a completely different Paris. Everything here is very stylish, extravagant and has crazy energy.

Where is it located and how to get there?

You can get to the Defense quarter:

• By metro – to the Esplanade de La Defense station;
• REP transport – line A to Defense station;
• By bus - route No. 63;
• Take the tram T2 to the Issy-Plaine-LaDefense stop.
• Walking from the Arc de Triomphe will take about an hour and a half. The walk can be shortened by reaching the Pont de Nueilly station, where it is very convenient to start the walk.

Important: the Defense district is a suburb, it is located in the third zone, which is important when purchasing public transport tickets (except for the metro). Someone has spent all their savings, possibly on fines, and is forced to spend the night on the street.

Numbers and interesting facts

• The district consists of 12 sectors;
• Covers an area of ​​1.6 square kilometers;
• On its territory there are 3.5 million square meters of offices;
• Defense offices represent 1.5 thousand enterprises and companies;
• Which employs 150 thousand employees;
• 20 thousand of whom permanently reside in the Defense area;
• There are 2.5 thousand hotel rooms in the area;
• 310 thousand square meters of land are covered with monolithic slabs;
• Green spaces are planted on 11 hectares of land;
• About 60 monuments of modern art;
• Of the 90 thousand square meters of roads, 60 thousand are covered;

Already in our century, the French authorities decided to continue the construction of skyscrapers in Paris. The immediate plans include the construction of a 300-meter building. After the implementation of such plans, La Défense will clearly be able to become the best business district in the world.

Hotels in La Défense

This time we stayed next to our lovers Lada and Vlad at the ibis Paris Sacré Coeur hotel in Montmartre, a hundred meters from the Sacre Coeur Basilica. I have stayed in hotels of this chain more than once and I can say that in terms of price/quality ratio they are unrivaled, especially in such an expensive city as Paris. Pleasant predictable service, large beds comfortable for guys over 190 cm, modern renovation. Having seen its three-star ibis Paris la Défense Center, I have definitely already decided where to stay on my next visit to the French capital.

The main advantage of the hotel, in addition to its mega cool location, is a very reasonable price from 72 euros for a 2-bed room. It's confusing that all the rooms are occupied 3 months in advance. Now, when booking on September 10, it shows available rooms only from December 6, but nothing, we’ll get through.

Video

The video below shows life in the Devance area - metro station, shops, restaurants. Enjoy and discover your Paris.

In conclusion, I would like to note that when you arrive in Paris, take the time to look into the Défense district. It deserves attention no less than the historical part of the city. Moreover, as one of my photographer friends says, the main disadvantage of the Eiffel Tower is that the tower itself is not visible from it.

Cube houses in Rotterdam">

Cube houses in Rotterdam

Holland is known throughout the world as a unique travel destination. Of course, most tourists

The first office building was opened in 1958 . Now La Défense is home to many headquarters of various banks and insurance companies. The most impressive buildings are Areva Tower, Manhattan, Gan, CNIT (Center for Latest Industry and Technologies). However, the most famous building is rightfully consideredGreat Arch of Defense, modern versionArc de Triomphe.

The Grande Arche de la Fraternité (Arche de la Défense or simply the Grande Arche) is a monument located in the La Défense business district in the western part of Paris.

At the initiative of French President Francois Mitterrand, an international competition was announced for the best arch design. The winner was the Danish architect Johann Otto von Spreckelsen (1929-1987), who proposed a 20th-century version of the Arc de Triomphe: a monument not to military victories, but to humanity and the ideals of humanism. Construction of the monument began under the leadership of its creator in 1982. After Spreckelsen's death in 1987, his partner, French architect Paul Andreu, completed the project in 1989-90.

This Arch is built in the form of a cube of almost regular shape (width: 108 m, height: 110 m, thickness: 112 m). It was assumed that the structure would be similar to a four-dimensional hypercube (tesseract), projected onto a three-dimensional world. The arch, built by French construction company Bouygues, consists of a prestressed concrete frame covered with glass and Carrara marble from Italy.

The almost completed Arch was opened in July 1989 during a grandiose military parade in honor of the bicentenary of the French Revolution. This monument stands at an angle of 6.33° to the Historical Axis of Paris, which is explained by several reasons. According to one version, the architect wanted to emphasize the depth of the monument and installed it at such an angle symmetrically to the Louvre at the other end of the Axis. However, most likely, this location of the Arch is explained by technical necessity, since when installing its gigantic foundation, it was necessary to take into account the metro and RER railway stations located underneath it, as well as the nearby motorway.

In addition, the Arch and the two tallest buildings in Paris - the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse Tower - form a second architectural axis.

The two columns of the arch house government offices. The Stefane Cherki Exhibition Center operates in the roof section. You can take the elevator to the top platform, which offers stunning views of Paris.

The name Defense comes from the name monument La Défense de Paris, which was staged in honor of the soldiers who defended the city duringFranco-Prussian War 1870.

The hill on which the Great Arch stands today previously bore the romantic name Chantecoq (Song of the Roosters). Already at Louis XV was extended historical axisin place of todayChamps Elysees in the form of an alley , but until the 19th century there stood on the hillwindmill. However, the actual development of Défense began only after the founding of EPAD (Etablissement Public d’Amenagement de la Défense). EPAD's task was to relieve the traditional business districts at the Arc de Triomphe and alongBig Boulevards, as well as the development infrastructure in Defense. In 1958, the first building was erected on the Défense hill, along with the exhibition hall of the CNIT (Centre National des Industries et Technologies).

One of the buildings houses a shopping center, and above the entrance is the Hilton Hotel. Very comfortably.

In 1963, the concrete outlines of a new quarter began to emerge. The volume of office space was approximately 800,000 m². Five were completed in 1970 skyscrapers : Esso, Nobel, Aquitaine, Europe and Aurore. In the same year, one of the main prerequisites for the construction of a new City Quarter was realized. outskirts city ​​- urban high-speed railway ( RER ), which connects La Défense with the Aubert stations (at Paris Opera ) and the Arc de Triomphe.

The 70s of the twentieth century, which passed under the auspices of ecology and economic development, brought certain problems to the construction of Defense. As soon as it became clear that the new high-rise buildings were distorting the perspective of the Champs-Elysees, a wave of protests took place in 1972. Prime MinisterValéry Giscard d'Estaing, already on his way to the presidency , was in favor of stopping development of the block. Besides,1973 oil crisisled to the suspension of the project. But, despite everything, government led by Raymond Barr decided to continue construction in 1978.

We arrived in the area at lunchtime, when many business men and women go out to get some air and have a snack.

You can also have a snack near the fountain

Or you can just chat near some bush or tree

During the walk, we were also able to see how they were filming a report about Renault Dezir supercar in Paris.

After passing La Defense you can get to, and then the Arc de Triomphe, and then the Place de la Concorde, and then the Tuileries Garden, and then the Louvre, and then, further, further...

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Located in the Hauts-de-Seine department. It is the largest business center in Europe and has several dozen skyscrapers made of glass and reinforced concrete. Being a kind of city within a city, La Défense attracts tourists not only with its modern architecture. On the territory of the quarter there are more than fifty unusual monuments and sculptures, museums, shopping centers, and a huge green park. But the most important attraction of the business center is the 110-meter Grand Arch, to the observation deck of which about 1 thousand guests of Paris go up every day.

The history of Defense

In the place where the La Défense district is located today in Paris, there used to be a hill with windmills called Chantecoq (The Song of the Roosters). It was here in 1871 that the French valiantly defended Paris from Prussian troops. Some time later, a monumental monument, La Defense de Paris (literal translation: “Defense of Paris”), was erected at the site of the battle, glorifying the valor and heroism of the French soldiers. In the middle of the last century, a business center began to grow around the monument, which received the name La Défense in honor of it.

The first decades of the twentieth century marked the emergence of skyscrapers. High-rise buildings were erected in many large cities of the world, but Paris in this sense lagged behind other megacities. Local authorities understood that modern architecture would spoil the appearance of the central part of the city, and therefore opposed the construction of skyscrapers. In the early 50s, Charles de Gaulle proposed building the business center of Paris outside of it. His idea had 2 goals:

• keep ancient neighborhoods intact;
• move major highways outside the city, thereby solving the problem of traffic jams.

Champs Elysees

The history of the Défense district begins in 1958, when construction of the first skyscraper began on the site of the former Chantecoq hill. In the 60s, the quarter already consisted of 5 high-rise office buildings. At the same time, it was connected to the center of Paris by the RER public rapid transit system. In 1973, the construction of high-rise buildings in the La Défense area was suspended due to the global economic crisis, but 5 years later the project was revived, and the construction of skyscrapers began with renewed vigor.

Skyscrapers of the business center

The modern La Défense district in Paris is home to 60 high-rise buildings made of glass, steel and concrete blocks, most of which are striking in their unusual architecture. The area of ​​office space in skyscrapers occupies 3.5 million square meters. This territory houses 1.5 thousand offices of large firms, insurance companies and banks. Every morning, more than 150 thousand clerks come to work from all over Paris in the business district.

Today the tallest skyscrapers in La Défense are:

• Tour First (height - 231 m, 52 floors);
• Tour Majunga (193 m, 47 floors);
• Tour Total (187 m, 48 floors);
• Tour T1 (185 m, 37 floors);
• Tour Areva (184 m, 44 floors).

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

All the largest buildings in Defense contain offices. But among the skyscrapers of the area there are also residential buildings. These include Tour Defense (134 m, 47 floors), Tour France (126 m, 40 floors), Tour Eve (109 m, 30 floors), etc. These buildings attract attention not only with their height, but also with their unusual architectural design. Thus, the Tour Defense skyscraper is made in the form of a column expanding downwards, and Tour Eve in its shape resembles an ellipse. In total, about 20 thousand permanent residents live in the skyscrapers that fill the Défense quarter in Paris. The rest of Parisians come here to work from other metropolitan areas.

The Great Arch is the most famous building in the quarter

Tourists visiting the sights of Paris flock to its business center in order to take a photo against the backdrop of the Grand Arch, a monumental structure that is a miracle of modern architectural thought. A description of this structure can be found in all Paris guidebooks. The Great Arch of Defense was erected in 1989 in honor of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution according to the design of the Danish architect Spreckelsen. It is a 110-meter hollow cube, the walls of which are lined with glass and Carrara marble. The free space inside the structure is filled with a “cloud” - a white fabric awning floating in the air, simulating a free fall. At the bottom, the Grand Arch of Défense is equipped with steps on which loving couples like to relax, enjoying the view of the city that opens before them.

Marais Quarter

Not all tourists understand what the Grand Arch of Defense is and what functions it performs in the business district. Despite its unusual appearance, this building is a very ordinary office building. Inside the arch there are offices of international companies, ministries, and the EU information center. Anyone can use a transparent elevator to ascend to the observation deck located on the top floor of the building and admire the surroundings of Paris. However, it should be borne in mind that the traveler will have to pay 7.5 euros to use the elevator.

The Arch of Défense in Paris is located on the historical axis of the capital running along the Seine. In addition to it, on this axis are the Louvre, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and other attractions that France is proud of. Thanks to this location, the Great Arch can be seen from afar. To do this, you just need to go out onto the road going in the direction of the historical axis.

Monuments, museums, shops and educational institutions in the area

In the La Défense district, in addition to ultra-modern skyscrapers and the Grand Arch, the attention of travelers is attracted by monuments, of which there are about 60 throughout the quarter. Defense sculptures, like buildings, amaze the imagination with their unusual appearance and unconventional approach to execution. For example, One of the monuments decorating this area of ​​Paris is made in the shape of a 12-meter thumb. The author of the composition is the famous sculptor Cesar Baldachini. In Defense there are abstract figures of fairy-tale characters, a man balancing on a ball, a mirror sprout breaking out of the ground, a fat frog, etc.

Latin Quarter

Car enthusiasts in Paris will be interested in the Défense district because it is here that they will find the Automobile Museum, the collection of which includes about 100 exhibits. The staff of the establishment will not only invite visitors to inspect the vehicles, but will also give them interesting lectures on the history of the automotive industry.


In the La Défense quarter of Paris, there is the largest shopping center in Europe called “The Four Seasons” (Les Quatre Temps), which houses 250 stores on 3 floors. This huge complex will save the traveler time on shopping, because in it you can buy almost everything a person needs. On the ground floor of the complex there are several cafes and a pizzeria where you can have a snack at a reasonable price. In addition to Four Seasons, you can find many other shops in the quarter. The total area of ​​retail space in the area occupies 210 thousand square meters.

Let's move for a while to Paris, to the famous business district of Paris La Défense, and look at an example of high-quality development of the business center of a modern city without harming its centuries-old history.

The Grand Arc de la Défense is as much a symbol of modern Paris as the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris at the end of the 19th century.
Defense ( La Defense) is a district of skyscrapers on the northwestern outskirts of Paris. The main axis of Paris, the Route de Triomphe, ends here. It starts from Arches Carousel (Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel) V Tuileries park (Jardins des Tuileries), in the outer courtyard Louvre(Louvre), goes through Place de la Concorde(Place de la Concorde) And Star Square(Place de l'Étoile), on which the famous Triumphal Arch (Arc de Triomphe de l"Étoile), and rests on Grand Arch of Defense(Grande Arche de la Defense) in the most modern district of Paris.


Place de la Défense (Place de la Defense) - the main square of La Défense. View from the foot of the Great Arch. In the distance on the horizon you can see the Arc de Triomphe - this is the Triumphal Road
La Défense is located where the Seine, having skirted old Paris, bends again in the other direction and flows north. Thus, to get to Defense, you must cross the river. From the city center you can get here by metro and train. If you go by metro, you can get off at the penultimate station of line 1 and walk from there along Esplanade de la Défense(Esplanade de La Defense). The final destination of the walk will be Grand Arch of Defense(Grande Arche). You can go straight to Great Arch and start your walk from there.


In Defense you can find buildings from four generations - the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and modern skyscrapers. On the right of the frame is the newest addition to Defense, the EDF tower
I expected to see noisy business life in La Défense: clerks yelling into several mobile phones at once, seas of yellow taxis and black ones.” Mercedes", people with business cases, fast food and traffic jams. Defense turned out to be different; at least in early August it was quiet and peaceful here. The area gave me the impression of a green area, on both sides of which there are skyscrapers. In the center of Defense there is a walking area, Esplanade de la Défense. The entire transport network is hidden underground in this place: under the walking area there is a highway, and immediately below it is a branch of the Parisian metro. Somewhere in the depths there is a railway hidden, along which commuter trains come here. Under each building there are multi-level parking lots for employees. On the main square of La Défense, Place de la Défense, there are two huge shopping centers.


Monument to the defense of Paris in 1870 - looks like a pug against the backdrop of modern giant skyscrapers
Although Défense is translated from French as “ defense", this area is in no way connected with military operations. The Défense district has existed under this name for a long time - in 1883, a monument was erected here to the soldiers who defended Paris during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), “ Defense of Paris» ( La Defense de Paris). The monument has been preserved to this day. Today it adorns the main square of La Défense, although it is so small that finding it can take a lot of time if you’re not used to it.


At this point, the pedestrian esplanade at La Défense opens up to a square where tourist buses stop. Although the transport system in Defense is the dream of many modern cities, it is on the verge of its capacity (150 thousand skyscraper workers come here per day), and the Defense agency considers expanding the capacity of access roads one of the main tasks
Plans for the construction of a modern business district in Paris began in the 1930s. The original idea was to extend the Route de Triomphe further to the north-west of Paris, bringing it to the La Défense district. In the 1930s, many projects were submitted to the competition for the arrangement of the Triumphal Way, including from Le Corbusier(Le Corbusier) or Auguste Perret(Auguste Perret). Almost all plans focused on the construction of skyscrapers in the modernist style (such as Empire State Building(Empire State Building) or Chrysler Building(Chrysler Building) in Manhattan) along the new highway. In 1931, a new competition was announced with a new condition: the height of buildings along the Route de Triomphe should not exceed the average number of floors for Paris (usually about 6-7 floors along large roads and boulevards), and only at the very end of this path - in the Défense district , the construction of skyscrapers was allowed. Only French projects were considered for the competition. Of the 35 plans submitted, most included the construction of skyscrapers. Thus, the focus of city planners shifted from the Route de Triomphe itself to the new La Défense district, where bold architectural experiments were allowed. Due to the Great Depression, there was not enough money to finance these projects at the time, and the plans were scrapped.


Different generations of skyscrapers stand next to each other, almost like in New York ( Maybe)
After the end of World War II, plans for the development of the La Défense area were returned to again. In 1951, it was decided to transform this area into the business center of Paris. The date of birth of modern Defense is considered to be September 9, 1958 - it was then that a special agency was created to control the development of the new area, which marked the beginning of the development of Defense.



According to the initial development plans, the area was supposed to be built up with high-rise buildings in two rows, and all buildings were supposed to be the same height. In 1958, the first office building rose here - Esso Tower(The 11-story tower was demolished in 1993, now in its place are towers Cœur Defense).


La Défense
In 1964, the first concrete development plan for La Défense was approved: it provided for the construction of 20 towers of 25 floors each. In 1966, the first skyscraper was built according to this plan - Tour Nobel(rebuilt in 1988, now - Tour Initiale). As you can see today, little of what was written on paper was embodied in real life - business dictated its terms, every square meter of land counted, and towers began to grow in Defense, one higher than the other.


La Défense is connected to Paris by several highways, a railway line and a metro line. In La Défense itself, all the roads are hidden underground, with a wide pedestrian zone spread over them
Not one of these towers caused scandals in the face of disgruntled Parisians. Many argued that these towers distort the panorama of Paris. I tend to disagree with them. I believe that La Defense is more of an additional reason to visit Paris than a reason not to go there. La Défense beautified and renovated Paris. After all, French writer Guy de Maupassant refused to look at the Eiffel Tower because he believed it disfigured the face of Paris. Today, few would take his whim seriously.


There are many fountains and sculptures in La Défense
Office buildings built in La Défense between 1958 and 1968 are considered " first generation towers" As a rule, they were built from monolithic concrete. Their height did not exceed 100 meters. In the 1970s, " second generation towers" - more refined in design, moreover, an order of magnitude higher than the first generation towers. As part of the third generation of buildings in La Défense, the largest shopping center in Europe appeared in the 1980s - Quatre Temps("Four Seasons"). In 1970, a commuter rail line was installed in La Défense. In 1992, two Paris metro stations opened here.

Grand Arch of Defense
For a long time, a truly feverish construction was going on in La Défense, and the entire project looked like nothing more than a business district of the city. In 1982, French President François Mitterrand announced a competition for the construction of " Arc de Triomphe according to the 20th century version" The Danish architect won the competition Johann Otto von Spreckelsen(Johann Otto von Spreckelsen) with his hollow cube project. President Mitterrand considered the cube a suitable candidate for the role of a triumphal arch of the 20th century: it had simplicity of form, purity of line and strength. In addition, the cube emphasizes the humanistic ideals of humanity before the military, as all previous triumphal arches of the world have done. Construction of the arch began in 1985. Architect Spreckelsen did not live to see the completion of construction: in July 1986 he transferred all design documentation and construction supervision to his French colleague Paul Andro(Paul Andreu), and in 1987 the Danish architect passed away.


The Great Arch represents an ideal cube with each side measuring 110 meters (plus/minus 2 meters)
The supporting structures of the arch are made of concrete, the cladding is made of Carrara marble. Carrara marble is the most valuable type of marble in the world; from it, among other things, the ancients built the Roman Pantheon and Trajan’s Column, and Michelangelo carved “ David" The expensive architectural project took 4 years, and on July 14, 1989 Grand Arch of Defense was inaugurated exactly on the day of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.


Although the sides of the arch seem monolithic, in fact, there are windows there. Today, French government agencies operate within the walls of the arch. So to speak, they work not without looking good.
Since the arch is a hollow cube with each side measuring 110 meters, when you climb the steps and get to the center of the arch, you are greeted by a strong head wind. On one side of the arch is the Route de Triomphe, with the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower visible in the distance. On the other side of the arch is the end of the city, only forests and no houses. To prevent the wind from blowing visitors off the steps, glass panels were placed on the platform in the middle of the arch, between which you need to walk, like through a labyrinth, to get to the opposite side of the arch. A common problem – a non-standard solution. There is no more wind.


The Esplanade de La Défense begins at the other end of the Défense (or at the beginning, if viewed from Paris) with this intricate fountain. You can see the Great Arch in the distance
The Great Arch of Defense is evidence of the modern scientific thought of mankind. The question of whether you like it or not depends, first of all, on the viewer. I always dreamed of seeing her. When I approached its foot, I was not disappointed - the huge structure of a perfect cubic shape amazes with its purity of lines and its scale. This is somewhat reminiscent of the feeling of the Egyptian pyramids: it is never possible to imagine their scale until you come close to them.


The Grand Arch closed the main east-west axis of Paris, starting in the courtyard of the Louvre and, passing through the obelisk to the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, ending in La Défense with a new, modern arch - a symbol of the triumph of the twentieth century. (On the issue of the triumph itself, disputes do not subside.)
Just as the Louvre is located at a slight angle to the Route de Triomphe, so the Grand Arch of Defense is rotated 6.5 degrees relative to its axis so that the viewer can better sense its depth. In fact, due to the metro and commuter train stations and expressway located under the arch itself, the arch had to be turned slightly to the side to anchor the arch's foundation firmly in the ground.




La Defense - a place of bold architectural experiments
In modern La Défense, many styles are mixed, but only the monument to the defense of Paris, erected in 1883, which gave its name to the entire area, seems alien to the general architectural concept. There are also concrete 6-story residential buildings, very reminiscent of Soviet architecture of the same period. Next to them rise multi-hundred-meter towers of large French and global corporations. Thus, of the 20 most valuable French companies, 14 have their headquarters here. World famous companies have settled here, such as, for example, Total (oil business), Société Générale (financial services), Aventis (medical concern), Arcelor (ferrous metals giant) and etc.