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{{short description|Major business district in Île-de-France, France}} {{Short description|Business district in Île-de-France, France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement {{Infobox settlement
| official_name = La Défense de merde | official_name = La Défense
| type = ]
| other_name =
⚫ | image_skyline = La Défense Collage.jpg
| native_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type =
| motto =
⚫ | image_skyline = La Défense vue depuis la Tour Eiffel.png
| imagesize = 280px | imagesize = 280px
| image_caption = La Défense seen from the Eiffel Tower | image_caption = '''Clockwise from top''': La Défense skyline at night; ]; Esplanade with ]; '']''
| image_flag = | image_flag =
| flag_size = 100px | flag_size = 100px
Line 22: Line 18:
| mapsize = 200px | mapsize = 200px
| map_caption = | map_caption =
| pushpin_map = | pushpin_map = Paris#France
| pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_map_caption =
Line 37: Line 33:
| established_title = | established_title =
| established_date = | established_date =
| parts_type = | parts_type = ]
| parts_style = | parts_style =
| parts = | parts =
Line 44: Line 40:
| p3 = ] | p3 = ]
| p4 = ] | p4 = ]
| area_magnitude = 1 E6
| unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired--> | unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
| area_footnotes = | area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 1.6 | area_total_km2 = 5.6
| area_land_km2 = | area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 = | area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent = | area_water_percent =
| area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_km2 =
| area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_km2 =
| population_as_of = 2006 | population_as_of = 2022
| population_footnotes = | population_footnotes =
| population_note = | population_note =
| population_total = 50,000<ref name="Key figures">{{cite web |url=https://parisladefense.com/en/territory-strategy/key-figures |title=Key figures |website=ParisLaDefense.com |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref>
| population_total = 25,000
| population_density_km2 = | population_density_km2 =
| population_metro = | population_metro =
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}}<!-- Infobox ends --> }}<!-- Infobox ends -->


'''La Défense''' ({{IPA-fr|la de.fɑ̃s|lang}}) is a major ] located three kilometres west of the ] of ]. It is part of the ] in the ] region, located in the ] of ] in the ] of ], ], ], and ]. '''La Défense''' ({{IPA|fr|la de.fɑ̃s|lang}}) is a major ] in France's ], {{Convert|3|km|mi}} west of the ]. It is located in ] region's ] of ] in the ] of ], ], ], and ].


La Défense is Europe's largest purpose-built business district, covering {{convert|560|ha}}, for 180,000 daily workers,<ref name="Key figures"/><ref name="VilleCourbevoie">{{Cite web |title=La Défense, Tout sur ce quartier d'exception |url=https://www.ville-courbevoie.fr/1469/la-defense-le-1er-quartier-d-affaire-europeen.htm |publisher=Ville de Courbevoie |access-date=2021-10-19}}</ref> with 72 glass and steel buildings (of which 20 are completed ]s, out of 24 in the Paris region), and {{convert|3500000|m2}} of office space. Around its ] and ] ("le Parvis"), La Défense contains many of the Paris ]'s ] ], a large shopping mall in La Défense, has 220 stores, 48 restaurants and a 24-screen movie theatre.<ref name="ParisDigest">{{Cite web |year=2018 |title=La Défense near Paris. Shopping. Map. |url=https://www.parisdigest.com/business/ladefense.htm |access-date=2018-10-19 |publisher=Paris Digest}}</ref>
⚫ luster of ] and 5 ]s: ], ], ], ] and ].<ref></ref> It is also home to the ], an international primary and secondary school that was accredited as a ] in 2020.


], the largest ] in Europe, was inaugurated in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://parisladefense.com/en/discover/towers/paris-la-defense-arena |title=Paris La Défense Arena, Europe's largest indoor arena |date=2 March 2019 |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref>
⚫ ==Area specifications==
⚫ * Divided into 4 major sectors
⚫ * {{convert|400|acre|km2}}
⚫ * {{convert|3500000|m2|sqft}} of offices
⚫ * 1,500 businesses
⚫ * 180,000 employees
* 20,000 residents
⚫ * {{convert|210000|m2|sqft}} of shops (including the {{convert|140000|m2|sqft}} ''Quatre Temps'' Shopping Mall)
⚫ * 2,600 hotel rooms
⚫ * {{convert|310000|m2|sqft}} of flagstone and sidewalk
⚫ * {{convert|110000|m2|sqft}} of greenery
* 60 modern art sculptures and monuments


The district is located at the westernmost extremity of the {{Convert|10|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} '']'' ("historical axis") of ], which starts at the ] in Central Paris and continues along the ], well beyond the ] along the ] before culminating at La Défense. The district is centred in an ] straddling the ] ] ] of ], ], ] and ]. La Défense is primarily a business district and hosts a population of 50,000 permanent residents and 75,000 students.<ref name="Key figures"/><ref name=VilleCourbevoie /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fallon |first=Steve |title=Paris |last2=Annabel Hart |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2006 |isbn=1-74059-849-0 |location=Footscray, Victoria |page=155}}</ref> La Défense is also visited by 8,000,000 tourists each year<ref name=VilleCourbevoie /> and houses an ].<ref name="Open-air museum" />
⚫ <Gallery caption="" widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4">
⚫ File:Paris 06 2012 La Defense monument 3219.jpg|The name of the district comes from the statue of '']'' by ] which commemorates the ] during the ].


==History==
] de la Défense and the ] Fountain (1977). The bronze sculpture on the left, seen from the rear, is '']'' by ], after which La Défense is named.]]
], with the skyscrapers of La Défense in the background and the ] in the foreground taken in 2014]]
] is the central and defining building of ''La Défense''. It is, with the ] and the ], the third arch on the ].]]
La Défense is named after the statue '']'' by ], which was erected in 1883 to commemorate the soldiers who had ] during the ].

In September 1958, the {{ill|Établissement public pour l'aménagement de la région de la Défense|lt=Public Establishment for Installation of La Défense|fr}} (EPAD) buildings (of which the ] was the first) were constructed and began to slowly replace the city's factories, shanties, and even a few farms. The ] (CNIT) was built and first used in 1958. These "first generation" skyscrapers were all very similar in appearance, limited to a height of {{convert|100|m|ft}}. In 1966, the ] was the first office skyscraper built in the area. In 1970, the ] ] railway was opened from ] to ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portrait of the RER A |url=https://www.ratp.fr/en/travaux-ete-rer/portrait-rer |access-date=2018-01-31 |publisher=RATP}}</ref> In 1974, a contract for a Défense-] ] was signed and soon abandoned.

In the early 1970s, in response to great demand, a second generation of buildings began to appear, but the ] nearly halted all construction in the area. A third generation of towers began to appear in the early 1980s. The biggest shopping centre 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 '']'', which eventually led to the construction of ] at the west end of the quarter. During the same period, hotels were constructed, the CNIT was restructured, and in 1992, ] of the ] was extended to La Défense, which made the area readily accessible to more of the city.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}}

On ] 1990, French electronic composer ] staged an ambitious concert at the site, using the Grande Arche and three of the area's towers as projection screens, and building a pyramidal stage above the road. The free concert, titled ], attracted two million spectators, stretching all the way back to the ]. This beat Jarre's own previous world record for the largest attendance for a musical concert. After Jean Michel Jarre, German DJ ] and the singer ] set the video clip for their song ''Stay'' at La Défense in 1997.

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

Major corporations headquartered at La Défense include ], ], ], ], ], and ]. The tallest skyscraper, the ] belongs to ], constructed in 1974. It is {{convert|231|m|ft}} high, has 50 floors, and is the highest inhabited building in the Paris area. This title was previously held by the ], which was the tallest inhabited building until the Tour First was renovated between 2007 and 2011, bringing it to its current height from a previous {{convert|159|m|ft}}; the tallest structure in Paris is the ].

On 9 September 2008, La Défense celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge ] display.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119074805/http://www.rfi.fr/francefr/articles/105/article_72229.asp |date=19 January 2017 }} 9 November 2008, Danielle Birck {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

In December 2005, ], CEO and chairman of EPAD (La Defense Management and Development Office) announced an ambitious nine-year development plan called ]. This important modernisation plan has to give a new dimension to the district and focuses on four main axes: regenerate outdated skyscrapers, allow new buildings, improve the balance between offices and residential housing, and make the transport of local employees from their homes to La Défense easier. There are three aims: building {{convert|150000|m2|ft2}} of offices within demolition/rebuilding projects, building {{convert|300000|m2|ft2}} of offices within new projects, and building {{convert|100000|m2|ft2}} of housing.

In July 2006, the government confirmed this plan, which has to be carried out around 2015. It is justified by the strong estate pressure, which plays in favour of building new skyscrapers near Paris. Those constructions have the advantage of being more economical than small buildings. But it will have to overcome some difficulties: the French economy faced a short-term slowdown;{{when|date=July 2024}} the government is trying to balance tertiary sector employment in the whole region again, because today La Défense concentrates a major part of those jobs; and traffic is already saturated in the district, while it would need huge investments to extend transport infrastructures.

It launched high-profile international competitions and/or construction approval of several key {{convert|300|to|320|m|ft|adj=on}} tall sustainable development-style skyscrapers such as ], ], ], and ]. During said December 2005 Press Conference, EPAD released to the public an elaborate 3D animation film titled ''La Défense 2016''.

]

== Education ==
⚫ Paris La Défense brings together the cluster of ], the IA Institut,<ref></ref> a campus of ]<ref></ref> and 4 ]s: ], ], ] and ]<ref></ref> It is also home to the ], an international primary and secondary school that was accredited as a ] in 2020.

⚫ ==Area specifications==
⚫ * Divided into 4 major sectors<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * {{convert|1400|acre|km2}}<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * {{convert|3500000|m2|sqft}} of offices<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * {{convert|310000|m2|sqft}} of flagstone and sidewalk<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * {{convert|245000|m2|sqft}} of shops (including the {{convert|140000|m2|sqft}} ''Westfield Les Quatre Temps'' Shopping Mall)<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * {{convert|110000|m2|sqft}} of greenery<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * 180,000 employees<ref name="Key figures"/>
* 70,000 students<ref name="Key figures"/>
* 50,000 residents<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * 2,600 hotel rooms<ref name="Key figures"/>
⚫ * 1,500 businesses<ref name="Key figures"/>
* 500+ companies<ref name="Key figures"/>
* 150 restaurants<ref name="Key figures"/>
* 61 ], 76m (250 ft) average building height<ref name="Key figures"/>

⚫ <gallery widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4">
⚫ File:Monument Défense Paris - Courbevoie (FR92) - 2023-09-16 - 1.jpg|The name of the district comes from the statue of '']'' by ] which commemorates the ] during the ].
File:La Défense, Paris, France at night.jpg|View from ] at night. File:La Défense, Paris, France at night.jpg|View from ] at night.
File:La Défense and Bois de Boulogne from the Eiffel Tower, 11 June 2017 002.jpg|View from ]. File:La Défense and Bois de Boulogne from the Eiffel Tower, 11 June 2017 002.jpg|View from ].
File:Centre commercial Les Quatre Temps.jpg|The Mall "]" File:Centre commercial Les Quatre Temps.jpg|The Mall "] ]", one of Europe's largest shopping centers.
File:Skylight tower - La Défense - 2017-09-23.jpg|]. File:Skylight tower - La Défense - 2017-09-23.jpg|].

File:Western part of La Défense as seen from the Grande Arche - 2020-07-07.jpg|Western part of La Défense as seen from the Grande Arche. File:Western part of La Défense as seen from the Grande Arche - 2020-07-07.jpg|Western part of La Défense as seen from the Grande Arche.
File:La Défense from the top of the Grande Arche to the east - 2022-08-13.jpg|La Défense from the top of the Grande Arche.
</gallery> </gallery>


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*], ''La Défense de Paris'' (1883) *], ''La Défense de Paris'' (1883)
*], ''La Défonce'' (1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=La Défonce &#124; Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense |url=http://www.ladefense.fr/en/oeuvres-d-art/la-defonce |access-date=2016-02-20 |website=Ladefense.fr}}</ref> *], ''La Défonce'' (1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=La Défonce &#124; Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense |url=http://www.ladefense.fr/en/oeuvres-d-art/la-defonce |access-date=2016-02-20 |website=Ladefense.fr}}</ref>
*], ''Peinture de 216 m²'' (2014)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-30 |title=Une oeuvre géante de Guillaume Bottazzi à La Défense &#124; Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense |url=http://www.ladefense.fr/en/une-oeuvre-geante-de-guillaume-bottazzi-la-defense |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311172128/http://www.ladefense.fr/en/une-oeuvre-geante-de-guillaume-bottazzi-la-defense |archive-date=11 March 2016 |access-date=2016-02-20 |website=Ladefense.fr}}</ref> *], ''Peinture de 216&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>'' (2014)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-30 |title=Une oeuvre géante de Guillaume Bottazzi à La Défense &#124; Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense |url=http://www.ladefense.fr/en/une-oeuvre-geante-de-guillaume-bottazzi-la-defense |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311172128/http://www.ladefense.fr/en/une-oeuvre-geante-de-guillaume-bottazzi-la-defense |archive-date=11 March 2016 |access-date=2016-02-20 |website=Ladefense.fr}}</ref>
{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


<Gallery caption="" widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4"> <gallery widths="150" heights="150" perrow="4" mode="packed">
File:Lae-bassin-de-Takis.jpg|], ''Bright Trees'', c. 1990 File:Bottazzi-public-art-la-defense-france.jpg|], ''Untitled'', c. 2014
File:La-fontaine-d-agam.jpg|], ''Fountain'', c. 1977
File:Bottazzi-public-art-la-defense-france.jpg|], ''Untitled'', c. 2014
</gallery> </gallery>


==Tallest buildings== ==Highrise buildings==
<gallery widths="150px" heights="180px" perrow="5"> <gallery widths="150" heights="180" perrow="5" mode="packed">
File:Tour First - La Defense - Inauguration 6 mai 2011.jpg|] File:Tour First - La Defense - Inauguration 6 mai 2011.jpg|]

File:Tour-Total.jpg|] File:Tour-Total.jpg|]

File:Areva1.jpg|] File:Areva1.jpg|]
File:Tour Trinity La Défense France.jpg|]
</gallery> </gallery>


===Completed highrise buildings above 50&nbsp;m (164&nbsp;ft) (1967–2021)=== ===Completed highrise buildings above 50&nbsp;m (164&nbsp;ft) (1967–2024)===
{| class="wikitable" style="border:#999; background:light gray;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="border:#999; background:light gray;"
|- style="background:#eee; text-align:center;" |- style="background:#eee; text-align:center;"
| rowspan="2" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Name'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Built'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Use'''</span> || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Height'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Levels'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Municipality'''</span> | rowspan="2" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Name'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Built'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Use'''</span> || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Height'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Levels'''</span> || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''Municipality'''</span>
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| ] (formerly tour AXA) || 1974/2011 || office || 231 || 758 || 50 || ] | ] (formerly tour AXA) || 1974/2011 || office || 231 || 758 || 50 || ]
|- |-
| ] || 2014 || office || 194 || 636 || 47 || ] | ] || 2022 || office || 220 || 722 || 51 || ]
⚫ |-
| ] || 2014 || office || 194 || 636 || 47 || Puteaux
|- |-
| ] (Coupole) || 1985 || office || 187 || 614 || 48 || Courbevoie | ] (Coupole) || 1985 || office || 187 || 614 || 48 || Courbevoie
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| ] || 2017 || residential || 76 || 249 || 19 || Puteaux | ] || 2017 || residential || 76 || 249 || 19 || Puteaux
|- |-
| ] ||2018 || housing || 75 || 246 || 20 || Puteaux | ] residence ||2018 || housing || 75 || 246 || 20 || Puteaux
|- |-
| ] || 2021 || mix || 59.35 || 195 || 13 || Puteaux | ] || 2021 || mix || 59.35 || 195 || 13 || Puteaux
|} |}


===Upcoming highrise buildings (2015–2027)=== ===Upcoming highrise buildings (2024–2027)===
{| class="wikitable" style="border:#999; background:light gray;" {| class="wikitable" style="border:#999; background:light gray;"
|- style="background:#eee; text-align:center;" |- style="background:#eee; text-align:center;"
Line 267: Line 296:
| style="width:50px;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''metres'''</span> || style="text-align:center; width:50px;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''feet'''</span> | style="width:50px;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''metres'''</span> || style="text-align:center; width:50px;" | <span style="color:#111;">'''feet'''</span>
|- |-
| ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 244 || style="text-align:center;" | 801 || style="text-align:center;" | 52 || style="text-align:center;" | Puteaux || style="text-align:center;" | Under construction || style="text-align:center;" | 2025 | ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 244 || style="text-align:center;" | 801 || style="text-align:center;" | 52 || style="text-align:center;" | Puteaux || style="text-align:center;" | ''under construction'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2025
⚫ |-
| ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 229 || style="text-align:center;" | 718 || style="text-align:center;" | 55 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''Construction start in 2021'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2023
|- |-
| ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 220 || style="text-align:center;" | 722 || style="text-align:center;" | 51 || style="text-align:center;" | Puteaux || style="text-align:center;" | Under construction || style="text-align:center;" | 2022 | ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 229 || style="text-align:center;" | 718 || style="text-align:center;" | 55 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2027
|- |-
| ] || office & hotel || style="text-align:center;" | 210 || style="text-align:center;" | 656 || style="text-align:center;" | 54 || style="text-align:center;" | Nanterre || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2023 | ] || office & hotel || style="text-align:center;" | 210 || style="text-align:center;" | 656 || style="text-align:center;" | 54 || style="text-align:center;" | Nanterre || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2027
|- |-
| ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 187 || style="text-align:center;" | 613 || style="text-align:center;" | 42 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''Construction start in 2022'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026 | ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 187 || style="text-align:center;" | 613 || style="text-align:center;" | 42 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026
|- |-
| ] || mix || style="text-align:center;" | 174 || style="text-align:center;" | 570 || style="text-align:center;" | 33 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''Construction start in 2022'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026 | ] || mix || style="text-align:center;" | 174 || style="text-align:center;" | 570 || style="text-align:center;" | 33 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026
|- |-
| ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 131 || style="text-align:center;" | 396 || style="text-align:center;" | 26 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''Construction start in 2021'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2022 | ] || office || style="text-align:center;" | 131 || style="text-align:center;" | 396 || style="text-align:center;" | 26 || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2027
|- |-
| ] || mix || style="text-align:center;" | 101 || style="text-align:center;" | 331 || style="text-align:center;" | ? || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''Construction start in 2022'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026 | ] || mix || style="text-align:center;" | 101 || style="text-align:center;" | 331 || style="text-align:center;" | ? || style="text-align:center;" | Courbevoie || style="text-align:center;" | ''approved'' || style="text-align:center;" | 2026
|} |}


Line 293: Line 320:
==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|France}} {{Portal|France}}
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
Line 299: Line 328:


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
* Schaugg, Johannes: High-Rise Buildings – La Défense, Books on Demand 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-8391-4523-4}} * Schaugg, Johannes: High-Rise Buildings – La Défense, Books on Demand 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-8391-4523-4}}.


==External links== ==External links==
Line 312: Line 341:
* {{in lang|en}} * {{in lang|en}}


{{Coord|48|53|30.27|N|2|14|27.00|E|region:FR_type:city|display=title}} {{Coord|48|53|30|N|2|14|27|E|region:FR_type:city|display=title}}
{{La Défense}} {{La Défense}}
{{Visitor attractions in Paris}} {{Visitor attractions in Paris}}

Latest revision as of 12:53, 7 December 2024

Business district in Île-de-France, France

Central business district in Île-de-France, France
La Défense
Central business district
Clockwise from top: La Défense skyline at night; La Défense station; Esplanade with Grande Arche; La Défense de ParisClockwise from top: La Défense skyline at night; La Défense station; Esplanade with Grande Arche; La Défense de Paris
CountryFrance
RegionÎle-de-France
DepartmentHauts-de-Seine
Communes List
Area
 • Total5.6 km (2.2 sq mi)
Population
 • Total50,000
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Websiteparisladefense.com

La Défense (French: [la de.fɑ̃s]) is a major business district in France's Paris metropolitan area, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the city limits. It is located in Île-de-France region's department of Hauts-de-Seine in the communes of Courbevoie, La Garenne-Colombes, Nanterre, and Puteaux.

La Défense is Europe's largest purpose-built business district, covering 560 hectares (1,400 acres), for 180,000 daily workers, with 72 glass and steel buildings (of which 20 are completed skyscrapers, out of 24 in the Paris region), and 3,500,000 square metres (38,000,000 sq ft) of office space. Around its Grande Arche and esplanade ("le Parvis"), La Défense contains many of the Paris urban area's tallest high-rises. Westfield Les Quatre Temps, a large shopping mall in La Défense, has 220 stores, 48 restaurants and a 24-screen movie theatre.

Paris La Défense Arena, the largest indoor arena in Europe, was inaugurated in 2017.

The district is located at the westernmost extremity of the 10-kilometre-long (6.2 mi) Axe historique ("historical axis") of Paris, which starts at the Louvre in Central Paris and continues along the Champs-Élysées, well beyond the Arc de Triomphe along the Avenue de la Grande Armée before culminating at La Défense. The district is centred in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine department communes of Courbevoie, La Garenne-Colombes, Nanterre and Puteaux. La Défense is primarily a business district and hosts a population of 50,000 permanent residents and 75,000 students. La Défense is also visited by 8,000,000 tourists each year and houses an open-air museum.

History

La Grande Arche de la Défense and the Yaacov Agam Fountain (1977). The bronze sculpture on the left, seen from the rear, is La Défense de Paris by Louis-Ernest Barrias, after which La Défense is named.
Paris, with the skyscrapers of La Défense in the background and the Eiffel Tower in the foreground taken in 2014
The Grande Arche is the central and defining building of La Défense. It is, with the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the third arch on the Historical Axis of Paris.

La Défense is named after the statue La Défense de Paris by Louis-Ernest Barrias, which was erected in 1883 to commemorate the soldiers who had defended Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.

In September 1958, the Public Establishment for Installation of La Défense [fr] (EPAD) buildings (of which the Esso Tower was the first) were constructed and began to slowly replace the city's factories, shanties, and even a few farms. The Centre 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 metres (330 ft). In 1966, the Nobel Tower was the first office skyscraper built in the area. In 1970, the RER line A railway was opened from La Défense to Étoile. In 1974, a contract for a Défense-Cergy high-speed hovercraft train was signed and soon abandoned.

In the early 1970s, in response to great demand, a second generation of buildings began to appear, but the economic crisis in 1973 nearly halted all construction in the area. A third generation of towers began to appear in the early 1980s. The biggest shopping centre 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 more of the city.

On Bastille Day 1990, French electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre staged an ambitious concert at the site, using the Grande Arche and three of the area's towers as projection screens, and building a pyramidal stage above the road. The free concert, titled Paris la Défense, attracted two million spectators, stretching all the way back to the Arc de Triomphe. This beat Jarre's own previous world record for the largest attendance for a musical concert. After Jean Michel Jarre, German DJ Sash! and the singer La Trec set the video clip for their song Stay at La Défense in 1997.

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

Major corporations headquartered at La Défense include Neuf Cegetel, Société Générale, TotalEnergies, Aventis, Areva, and Arcelor. The tallest skyscraper, the Tour First belongs to AXA, constructed in 1974. It is 231 metres (758 ft) high, has 50 floors, and is the highest inhabited building in the Paris area. This title was previously held by the Tour Montparnasse, which was the tallest inhabited building until the Tour First was renovated between 2007 and 2011, bringing it to its current height from a previous 159 metres (522 ft); the tallest structure in Paris is the Eiffel Tower.

On 9 September 2008, La Défense celebrated its 50th anniversary with a huge fireworks display.

In December 2005, Bernard Bled, CEO and chairman of EPAD (La Defense Management and Development Office) announced an ambitious nine-year development plan called "La Defense 2006–2015". This important modernisation plan has to give a new dimension to the district and focuses on four main axes: regenerate outdated skyscrapers, allow new buildings, improve the balance between offices and residential housing, and make the transport of local employees from their homes to La Défense easier. There are three aims: building 150,000 square metres (1,600,000 sq ft) of offices within demolition/rebuilding projects, building 300,000 square metres (3,200,000 sq ft) of offices within new projects, and building 100,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft) of housing.

In July 2006, the government confirmed this plan, which has to be carried out around 2015. It is justified by the strong estate pressure, which plays in favour of building new skyscrapers near Paris. Those constructions have the advantage of being more economical than small buildings. But it will have to overcome some difficulties: the French economy faced a short-term slowdown; the government is trying to balance tertiary sector employment in the whole region again, because today La Défense concentrates a major part of those jobs; and traffic is already saturated in the district, while it would need huge investments to extend transport infrastructures.

It launched high-profile international competitions and/or construction approval of several key 300-to-320-metre (980 to 1,050 ft) tall sustainable development-style skyscrapers such as Tour Signal, Tour Phare, Hermitage Plaza, and Tour Generali. During said December 2005 Press Conference, EPAD released to the public an elaborate 3D animation film titled La Défense 2016.

The district at night

Education

Paris La Défense brings together the cluster of Leonardo da Vinci University Center, the IA Institut, a campus of EPITA and 4 business schools: EDC Paris Business School, ESSEC Business School, ICN Graduate Business School and IESEG School of Management It is also home to the European School of Paris-La Défense, an international primary and secondary school that was accredited as a European School in 2020.

Area specifications

  • Divided into 4 major sectors
  • 1,400 acres (5.7 km)
  • 3,500,000 square metres (38,000,000 sq ft) of offices
  • 310,000 square metres (3,300,000 sq ft) of flagstone and sidewalk
  • 245,000 square metres (2,640,000 sq ft) of shops (including the 140,000 square metres (1,500,000 sq ft) Westfield Les Quatre Temps Shopping Mall)
  • 110,000 square metres (1,200,000 sq ft) of greenery
  • 180,000 employees
  • 70,000 students
  • 50,000 residents
  • 2,600 hotel rooms
  • 1,500 businesses
  • 500+ companies
  • 150 restaurants
  • 61 skyscrapers, 76m (250 ft) average building height

Open-air museum

Besides the representative architecture, the area also houses an open-air museum with 70 statues and pieces of modern art, including the following works:

Highrise buildings

Completed highrise buildings above 50 m (164 ft) (1967–2024)

Name Built Use Height Levels Municipality
metres feet
Tour First (formerly tour AXA) 1974/2011 office 231 758 50 Courbevoie
Tour Hekla 2022 office 220 722 51 Puteaux
Tour Majunga 2014 office 194 636 47 Puteaux
Tour Total (Coupole) 1985 office 187 614 48 Courbevoie
Tour Engie (T1) 2008 office 185 607 37 Courbevoie
Tour Granite (Société Générale) 2008 office 184 600 37 Nanterre
Tour CB21 (formerly tour Gan) 1974 office 179 587 42 Courbevoie
Tour Areva 1974 office 178 584 44 Courbevoie
Tour Saint-Gobain 2020 office 178 584 39 Courbevoie
Tour D2 2014 office 171 561 37 Courbevoie
Tour Alicante (Société Générale) 1995 office 167 548 37 Nanterre
Tour Chassagne (Société Générale) 1995 office 167 548 37 Nanterre
Tour EDF 2001 office 165 541 41 Puteaux
Tour Carpe Diem 2013 office 162 531 38 Courbevoie
Cœur Défense 2001 office 161 528 40 Courbevoie
Tour Alto 2020 office 160 525 38 Courbevoie
Tour Adria (Technip) 2002 office 155 509 40 Courbevoie
Tour Égée (Ernst&Young) 1999 office 155 509 40 Courbevoie
Tour Ariane 1975 office 152 499 36 Puteaux
Tour Trinity 2020 office 151 495 32 Courbevoie
Tour Dexia (CBX) 2005 office 142 466 36 Courbevoie
Tour Europlaza 1995 office 135 443 31 Courbevoie
Tour Défense 2000 1974 residential 134 440 47 Puteaux
Tour Eqho (formerly tour Descartes) 1988 office 130 427 40 Courbevoie
Tour Les Poissons 1970 mixed 129.5 425 42 Courbevoie
Tour France 1973 residential 126 413 40 Puteaux
Tour Franklin 1972 office 120 394 33 Puteaux
Tour Sequoia (Bull, Cegetel, SFR) 1990 office 119 390 33 Puteaux
Tour Winterthur 1973 office 119 390 33 Puteaux
Tour CGI (CB16) 2003 office 117 384 32 Courbevoie
Tour Neptune 1972 office 113 371 28 Courbevoie
Préfecture des Hauts-de-Seine 1974 office 113 371 25 Nanterre
Grande Arche 1989 monument, office 110 361 37 Puteaux
Tour Manhattan 1975 office 110 361 32 Courbevoie
Tour Aurore 1970 office 110 361 29 Courbevoie
Tour Eve 1975 mixed 109 358 30 Puteaux
Tour Initiale 1967 office 109 358 30 Puteaux
L'archipel 2021 office 106 353 24 Nanterre
Tour Nuage 1, Tours Aillaud 1976 residential 105 344 39 Nanterre
Tour Nuage 2, Tours Aillaud 1976 residential 105 344 39 Nanterre
Tour Gambetta 1975 residential 104 341 37 Courbevoie
Tour Cèdre 1998 office 103 338 26 Courbevoie
Tour Opus 12 1973 office 100 328 27 Puteaux
Tour Athéna 1984 office 100 328 25 Puteaux
Tour Europe 1969 office 99 325 28 Courbevoie
Tour AIG 1967 office 99 325 27 Courbevoie
Tour Prisma (Tour Kvaerner) 1998 office 97 318 25 Courbevoie
Tour Atlantique 1970 office 95 312 27 Puteaux
Tour Pascal 1983 office 95 312 27 Puteaux
Tour Pacific 1992 office 90 295 25 Puteaux
Skylight 2017 residential 76 249 19 Puteaux
Rose de Cherbourg residence 2018 housing 75 246 20 Puteaux
Tour Eria 2021 mix 59.35 195 13 Puteaux

Upcoming highrise buildings (2024–2027)

Name Use Height Levels Municipality Status Estimated Year of Completion
metres feet
The Link office 244 801 52 Puteaux under construction 2025
Tour Sister 1 office 229 718 55 Courbevoie approved 2027
Tour des Jardins de l'Arche office & hotel 210 656 54 Nanterre approved 2027
Tour C/ (Odyssey) office 187 613 42 Courbevoie approved 2026
Tour O/ (Odyssey) mix 174 570 33 Courbevoie approved 2026
Tours Sister 2 office 131 396 26 Courbevoie approved 2027
Tour D/ (Odyssey) mix 101 331 ? Courbevoie approved 2026

Canceled projects

  1. Tour Sans Fins (1989): 425 m (1,394 ft)
  2. Hermitage Plaza (2022): 323 m (1,060 ft)
  3. Tour Generali (2011): 319 m (1,047 ft)
  4. Tour Signal (2009): 301 m (988 ft)
  5. Tour Phare (2018): 296 m (971 ft)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Key figures". ParisLaDefense.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  2. ^ "La Défense, Tout sur ce quartier d'exception". Ville de Courbevoie. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. "La Défense near Paris. Shopping. Map". Paris Digest. 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  4. "Paris La Défense Arena, Europe's largest indoor arena". 2 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  5. Fallon, Steve; Annabel Hart (2006). Paris. Footscray, Victoria: Lonely Planet. p. 155. ISBN 1-74059-849-0.
  6. ^ La Défense > Artworks: Guide 2013. Leaflet published by Defacto, Établissement public de gestion du quartier d'affaires de la Défense.
  7. "Portrait of the RER A". RATP. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  8. "La Défense : 50 ans d'histoire" Archived 19 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine 9 November 2008, Danielle Birck (in French)
  9. IA Institut s’apprête à devenir un pôle d’enseignement de référence autour des datas et de l’IA
  10. Le ministère des Armées recrute des profils cyber à l'Epita
  11. ÉTUDIER
  12. "La Défonce | Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense". Ladefense.fr. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  13. "Une oeuvre géante de Guillaume Bottazzi à La Défense | Defacto – Quartier d'affaires de la Defense". Ladefense.fr. 30 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

Further reading

External links

48°53′30″N 2°14′27″E / 48.89167°N 2.24083°E / 48.89167; 2.24083

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