Grande Arche de la Défense
Originally designed by the Danish architect, Otto von Spreckelsen, and finished by French architect Andreu after Spreckelsen’s death, the Grande Arche is considered a masterpiece of concrete, Italian marble, and colored glass. Envisioned by French president Mitterand as a 20th century triumphal arch, this modern structure is actually a three-dimensional cube-shaped building, 360’ high and 347’ wide, with an open center and a 54-step pedestal facing east toward the center of the city. After the highly technical construction, begun in 1982 by the French engineering company of Buoygues, was completed, the Grande Arche was formally dedicated in July 1989, the bicentennial anniversary of the French revolution. It represents the end of the axe historique, the line of monuments from the Louvre through the Place de l’Etoile, the Tuileries, and the Place de la Concorde. It also forms another invisible line with the two tallest buildings in Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Tour Montparnasse.
Offices fill the sides of the building that opens onto La Defense, considered Europe’s largest business district, where well over 140,000 people work and another 30,000 or more live. Beneath the Grande Arche is an RER connection that integrates the Paris Metro subway system with the regional rail system of France, providing access for commuters to La Defense. Shop and office workers, and tourists come to the Grande Arche where they take time to enjoy the outdoor scene, with snack bars, cafes, and restaurants, or visit the IMAX Theater and the huge CNIT exhibition center nearby. Visitors may take the outside glass enclosed elevator to the exhibition area just under the roof, which features year-round exhibitions of contemporary art, models of the Arche, and a 20-minute film on its construction. In addition to a restaurant and a small souvenir shop, a short flight of stairs takes you to the rooftop deck for a panoramic view of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees.
Hours: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. (7 p.m. in winter). Admission charged.