Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Paris La Défense « Thread Started on Jul 25, 2010, 5:22am »
To be honest, "Paris La Défense" is not in Paris at all, which is a good thing. I don't know if the French are the world champions of uban planning, but it certainly must be said that when they make plans, they make big ones and they stick to them.
The whole idea of La Défense dates back to 1958 when it was decided that Paris needed a modern office district but that it probably would not be a good idea to rip down a big chunk of the city and build office towers instead.
Yes, well, everybody knows that Paris made a few mistakes anyway, but it was spared from the worst.
Anyway, it just so happened that beyond the western limits of Paris, behind the Eiffel Tower, there were two big things to get rid off -- a completely outdated factory zone and a huge shantytown of North African immigrants.
The actual cities concerned were Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux, which were grouped around the Place de la Défense, commemorating the military defense of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870. None of the cities would make an appealing business address, so it was decided that everything located in the project area could use "Paris La Défense" as their city address.
Anyway, the first building was the CNIT, inaugurated by General de Gaulle with a flower show in 1958 -- it has survived and we'll see it in a moment. In fact, you have already seen it because the second photo of the shantytown shows it in the background. It is the largest building in the world with only 3 points of support.
The ESSO building followed, since demolished, and La Défense began to grow. The projects have been modified over the years to authorize bigger and taller buildings, but the master plan is still there, and still respects the historic axis from the Louvre, designed in 1640 by André Le Nôtre. It is said that the axis will be respected even if construction extends all the way to the Atlantic Ocean some day.
Anyway, flash forward to the present day. I took the RER to La Défense just like any ordinary person. The RER now serves the entire metropolitan area, but it was created to serve La Défense.
You can already see that the station is bigger than a normal metro station.
There is also a huge normal suburban rail station.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #1 on Jul 25, 2010, 5:43am »
When you come up to ground level, you are not in your traditional idea of Paris anymore.
The iconic building is the Grande Arche de la Défense, inaugurated by François Mitterrand in 1989 as one of his pharaonic projects. It "punctuates" the historic axis without closing it. These two photos are not mine, because it is pretty much impossible for a non professional to get a decent picture of the Grande Arche.
It was lunchtime. I think the steps of the Grande Arche can be renamed the "McDonald's Terrace."
The left hand side of the Arche is a government ministry.
The back side of the Arche shows the continuation of the axis.
And of course, looking towards Paris, you can see the Arc de Triomphe.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #2 on Jul 25, 2010, 5:57am »
Let's go inside the old CNIT. It used to just be a vast empty shell, but when it was renovated, they decided to fill it up with shops and offices and a hotel, formerly a Sofitel but now a Hilton.
Across the esplanade is the shopping mall, Les Quatre Temps. When it was built, it was the largest in Europe, but I am sure that there are bigger ones elsewhere now. We're not going inside today!
There is a lot of monumental sculpture at La Défense, like this Miro, or the Calder across the way.
The old statue of "La Défense Nationale" has been maintained at its original location. It looks kind of silly, but it is the only link with the past.
We have wandered a certain distance from the Grande Arche now.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #3 on Jul 25, 2010, 6:22am »
Now we are in one of the old sections from the early 1970's. The buildings were limited to a height of 100 meters back then. Some of these buildings will be removed or restructured in the coming years. Already completely obsolete -- and full of asbestos.
Some of the low incoming housing has seen better days as well.
The garden areas are well maintained.
Where are the automobiles, you wonder? They are in the underground tunnel or on the Boulevard Circulaire.
You can see the Eiffel Tower from here.
We're a bit closer to the Arc de Triomphe.
I'm glad there's a metro station near here, because I am quite far from the Grande Arche now.
This building is nearing the end of its makeover. They also added another 15 floors to it.
This one is supposed to be gutted and redone next. Some people have a lot of money.
The Russians are supposed to be building twin towers here soon, Hermitage Plaza. They will be 92 stories tall but one meter shorter than the Eiffel Tower out of deference to it.
Here's the metro.
These grey and rigid office workers are coming with me.
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #4 on Jul 25, 2010, 3:14pm »
Wonderful report K2. You've managed to capture La Défense, it can really be quite photogenic in an Unparisian way. There are very few (any?) other places in Europe where one can experience this sort of immersion in a very Asian or American-style modernist high rise environment. I had actually wondered if anyone would ever do a La Défense essay here. Thank you.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #7 on Jul 26, 2010, 12:15am »
Not at all familiar with this section. Talk about snoitcellres!!!!!! I have become more and more appreciative of modern archictecture in the last ten years,particularly,when I hear that care was taken to not demolish historic buildings in order to erect it. I adore several of the structures in this thread,I need to go back and count which ones I'm referring to. Fascinating! and extremely well done.Thanks.
( I see crape myrtles are the tree of choice there as well for urban planting...In NYC it's the gingko,they are impervious to air pollution)
Joined: Nov 2011 Gender: Female Posts: 48 Location: Toronto Canada
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #8 on Jul 26, 2010, 9:25pm »
In my previous visits to Paris, I never had the slightest desire to visit La Defense, but now I do, perhaps for a half day. It feels very ‘unparisian’ to me, yet interesting in terms of modern architecture. The architecture doesn’t move me much, cool and not on a human scale, but I love the work of Jean Nouvel, ie: the Arab Institute. This requires a visit to be there and see how I really would feel about it. Your essay is fascinating. In the future, I wonder how this will be regarded…thinking of the huge change in inner Paris by Haussman in the 19th century. Startling then, but now loved by many.
What an incredible photo of the shantytown that used to be there!
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,272 Location: Mexico
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #10 on Jul 26, 2010, 10:43pm »
Blown away -- completely blown away by this.
First of all, the job you did of photographing difficult subjects is hugely impressive. All that height, the reflective surfaces, the pale colors, some of the sky being difficultly subtle -- you captured all of it with enormous aplomb and often with great artistry.
The detail about Le Nôtre's axis being respected perhaps goes a long way to explain how the populace seems to completely have embraced this fabulously futuristic addition to the city. As in all your threads about Paris, the people are out there enjoying their city. How big is La Défense, over all? It surely must hold its own with the skyscraper districts of other great cities. I absolutely love the way some of the pictures look like architects' renderings, proving that the spaces are being used as intended.
How is parking handled? Are there places to leave a car, then take a shuttle or the metro into the the center? Also, what happened to the shanty town inhabitants? A last question, please -- in the garden area you show two different cylindrical towers. Any idea of their function?
Truly, in a forum full of beautiful photo threads, this is one of the most beautiful.
How big is La Défense, over all? It surely must hold its own with the skyscraper districts of other great cities. I absolutely love the way some of the pictures look like architects' renderings, proving that the spaces are being used as intended.
How is parking handled? Are there places to leave a car, then take a shuttle or the metro into the the center? Also, what happened to the shanty town inhabitants? A last question, please -- in the garden area you show two different cylindrical towers. Any idea of their function?
Thank you for your remarks, Bixa.
La Défense is the largest office district in Europe, with 3 million square meters of office space (and 600,000 m² of residential space). 180,000 people work there every day. It covers 160 hectares (I confess that my idea of hectares is quite vague.).
There is a vast amount of underground parking, but obviously it is designed for people to use public transportation. I would never have dreamed going into the underground transportation warren at rush hour.
All of the shantytown people were later housed in the various "projects" that were built everywhere in the suburbs. People loved them for 30 years and then it all went to shit. When they show a lot of the projects being demolished now, there are always a lot of tears, because people's entire lives raising their children took place there.
The big round towers are always the cooling towers for the heating plants. These giant constructions need quite a bit of space to breathe.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,547 Location: Montréal
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #12 on Jul 27, 2010, 1:18am »
So it is larger than all the Canary Wharf development and thereabouts in eastern London?
I've been there, but for strictly practical purposes. I don't really like such areas, though there is some stunning architecture in your photos. There is a much smaller area like that near the airport in Amsterdam (a far smaller city). Of course in Germany, a lot of the city centres were destroyed, so there are modern tower blocks in Frankfurt and Köln (and no doubt in Berlin, though alas I haven't been there).
Funny about "les cités" (estates, housing projects...) I have friends who live in a very desirable social-housing building in the 19th arrondissement - just a bit clockwise from chez Kerouac. They work in the public sector (librarian, civil servant). But even there, there is a problem with teenagers vandalising the lifts and similar public areas. I don't think that would happen here, at least not as systematically.
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #13 on Jul 27, 2010, 4:33pm »
K, I love the Grande Arche. I think it's a stunning building. I also find it has a slightly intimidating and ominous quality to it. We discovered it on our second trip to Paris and found it to be fascinating.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #14 on Jul 27, 2010, 5:32pm »
Two of the buildings that really blow me away are the one with the twist to it, that swirl like mirrored one,and the rainbow and curved striped one.Fabulous!!
(the little side courtyard shot,the weeds in between the cracks of the squares,makes me crazy,not," well maintained"...)
(the little side courtyard shot,the weeds in between the cracks of the squares,makes me crazy,not," well maintained"...)
The point of that shot is to show that that the Tour Aurore with the rounded bronze corners is already abandoned and has been so for some time, as the return of nature attests. (Notice that it is surrounded by walls, and the vegetation is behind the walls.)
It is going to be torn down and replaced by a new building called Air 2.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,224 Location: Greenest UK
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #16 on Jul 27, 2010, 6:15pm »
You took me back to 1994 in a phew pictures, K! Thank you!
And you also informed me about the shantytown. I didn't know it ever existed there. something you expect in "countries in development" not in la ville de lumiere.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #17 on Aug 29, 2010, 9:49pm »
20 years ago, on July 14, 1990, Jean-Michel Jarre did one of his giant concerts at La Défense. That year, it replaced the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.
I was there, but my camera back then was not really up to the task.
I did not even try to take a picture of the fireworks, but here is a professional shot of what they were like.
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #18 on Sept 8, 2010, 9:11pm »
What a learning experience this thread provided me today.
History blended into modern architecture and urban planning. What strikes me most visually is the vastness of the pedestrian space that leads to and from the Grand Arche and the water features.
Your Presentation:
The comfort feeling of laying back against my leather sofa, my face centered on my laptop lain on my knees, gave me the warmth of sitting in an amphitheatre absorbing a favourite lecture. Thank you.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 3,547 Location: Montréal
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #19 on Sept 8, 2010, 9:31pm »
That's a great image, mich. I can't work with a laptop on my knees - need a desk or table and a chair, whether using the desktop or laptop. (Though if you were born in '64, you aren't exactly a kid either).
The comfort feeling of laying back against my leather sofa, my face centered on my laptop lain on my knees, gave me the warmth of sitting in an amphitheatre absorbing a favourite lecture. Thank you.
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #23 on Oct 9, 2010, 11:04am »
Now everyone can see why we choose to stay at La Defense for a few days eveytime we come to Paris! I think its a fabulous place Kerouac, I see your shot of the Arc de Triomphe from the Esplanade La Defense Metro shows the little vineyard I love so much!
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,415 Location: Paris, France
Re: Paris La Défense « Reply #24 on Oct 9, 2010, 3:32pm »
I almost included a shot of your Ibis/Novotel cube, but I didn't want to stray too far from the Esplanade metro station since a new thunderstorm was imminent.
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