The Grande Arche de la Fraternite is a monument in the business district of La Defense to the West of Paris and is usually known as the Arche de la Defense or just simply as La Grande Arche.
The Grande Arche is almost a perfect cube and it has been suggested that the structure looks like a four dimensional hypercube projected onto the three dimensional world! The Grande Arche has a pre stressed concrete frame covered with glass and Carrara marble from Italy, and was built by the French civil engineering company Bouygues.
About La Grande Arche de la Defense
This business center and residential quarter in the Western outskirts of Paris, consists mainly of modern towers and buildings where the 20’s most powerful French enterprises have their main office. It started to be built in 1958 to direct business development away from historic Central Paris. About 150,000 people work at La Defense.
With its Grande Arche (its centerpiece) la Defense is at the end of a long axis with a perspective beginning at Louvre Museum, along Champs Élysées. Arc de Triomphe is aligned with Grande Arche. The Grande Arche itself was completed in 1989 and is a near perfect cube (110 meters high, 108 meters wide and 112 meters deep). The view of Paris from Arches’ elevator is spectacular.
A 300 meter tower, La Tour Signal, designed by Jean Nouvel is under construction. When finished, in 2013, it will reaffirm La Defense as an area with a vibrant Parisian life outside of the traditional center of Paris.
This business centre and residential quarter in the Western outskirts of Paris, consists mainly of modern towers and buildings where the 20’s most powerful French enterprises have their main office. It started to be built in 1958 to direct business development away from historic Central Paris. About 150,000 people work at Defense.
During the Christmas season the main courtyard or le Parvis de la Défense is home to the Paris Christmas Market, with over 10 000 square meters of merchant stalls that are adorned with festive lights. On a cold day it’s great to walk around in there and smell all the comfort food that is cooking. You can get everything from your choice of sausage, paella, creole dishes, crepes, bisques, mulled wine and waffles.
How to visit La Grande Arche de la Fraternite
Take the Metro (Line 1) or RER 'A' to the station Grande Arche de La Defense.
Visitors climb the imposing white bank of steps which forms part of the arch's geometry, the angle and color of the steps reflected in the other three sides of the square arch. The sides of the arch are offices, but visitors can take a glass elevator through the sculptural 'clouds' that hang within the arch's interior space, up to the belvedere. The elevator is open between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Mar 7, 2011
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