La Defense: The New Paris

In 1958, the city of Paris, responding to the demand for more business space for a burgeoning economy, and wanting to avoid destruction of historic buildings in Paris, began construction of La Defense. It is named for the statue La Defense de Paris commemorating the successful defense of Paris in the Franco-Prussian war. The name gives the development a military sound, but La Defense is all about business with 72 glass and steel skyscrapers and 180,00 daily workers employed there. It is the largest business-pupose development in Europe.

La Defense is anchored on its far west end by the Grande Arche. Completed in 1989 under President Mitterand, the Grande Arche is on a perfect alignment with the Axe Historique (Historic Axis) in Paris that starts at the Louvre to the east, runs through the Tuilleries Gardens and then the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the Egyptian obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, along the Champs-Elysees, through the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile (the Arc built by Napoleon I, and the one most Americans know as the Arc de Triomphe) an on to La Defense and the Grande Arch. All 3 arches are in perfect alignment.

Suspended double stairway inside the base of the Grande Arche.

Modern skyscrapers in La Defense.

More beautiful modern architecture at La Defense.

 Tim at La Defense.

A view along the Axe Historique with the Arc de Triomphe of Napoleon in the distance. This is the humming business center of modern Paris, and far distant architecturally and geographically from the historic areas of Paris we have been enjoying for the past three weeks. It is beautiful in its own way, but we prefer the limestone buildings and the wide avenues of the "old" Paris.