La Défense

Encyclopedia : L : LA : LAD : La Défense

La Défense, the new skyline of Paris

La Défense is one of Paris' major business districts, located west of the city proper in the heart of the département of the Hauts-de-Seine. The district marks the endpoint of the Historical Axis, which commences at the Louvre and crosses the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. The district is spread across three municipalities: Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux. La Défense consists mainly of business highrises built along a central esplanade (le Parvis). With 3.5 million m² of offices, it is today the largest CBD in Europe.

La Défense is also the most important transportation hub of the west of Paris agglomeration. Near the Grande Arche is located a major station served by metro line 1, RER line A, the T2 tram line, several bus lines and an important Transilien station which predates the modern development. Furthermore, the A14 toll road crosses the district fully underground. More over , La Défense is one of the major financial centers in the world and it wields a considerable clout in the world economy.

History

La Défense, with the white marble Grande Arche in the centre

La Défense on the Northern circular boulevard.

Esplanade

La Défense aligned with the Palais de Chaillot.

La Défense is named for the statue, La Défense de Paris, which was built in 1883 to commemorate the soldiers who had defended Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. The name of the area sometimes causes confusion with foreigners, who occasionally mistakenly assume it is some kind of military zone or establishment.

In September 1958, The Public Establishment for Installation of La Défense (EPAD) was created by the state to manage and bring life to the quarter. La Défense began designing itself: the first buildings (of which ESSO was the very first) were built and began to slowly replace the city's factories, shanties, and even a few farms. The Center of New Industries and Technologies (CNIT) was built and first used in 1958. These "first generation" skyscrapers were all very similar in appearance, limited to a height of 100 meters. In 1966, the Nobel Tower was the first office building built in the area.

In the early 1970s, in response to great demand, a second generation of buildings began to appear. Unfortunately, the economic crisis in 1973 nearly halted all progress in the area. A third generation of towers began to appear in the early 1980s. The biggest commercial center in Europe (at the time), the Quatre Temps, was created in 1981. In 1982, the EPAD launched the Tête Défense competition to find a monument to complete the Axe historique, which eventually led to the construction of Grande Arche at the west end of the quarter. During the same period, hotels were constructed, the CNIT was restructured, and in 1992 Line 1 of the Paris Métro was extended to La Défense, which made the area readily accessible to even more of the city.

After a stagnation in new development in the mid-1990s La Défense is once again expanding and is now the largest single business district in Europe.

Important corporations headquartered at La Défense include Cegetel, Société Générale, Total, Aventis, and Arcelor. The tallest skyscraper belongs to Total, constructed in 1985. It is 187 metres high, has 48 floors, and is the second highest building in the Paris area (the first being the Tour Montparnasse).

Area specifications