La Defense, Paris
La Defense is a major business district located on the north west edge of Paris. With the single exceptions of the Eiffel Tower and the shiny black Tour Montparnasse (which is almost universally detested by Parisians) buildings over a very modest height are prohibited within the Paris city limits - hence the small forest of skyscrapers which have grown up at La Defense, and which cluster just the wrong side of the city border on top of the peripherique.
Its curious name is actually a historical reference - la Defense commemorates the soldiers killed during the legendary ‘defense of Paris’ during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 - which nonetheless resulted in the capture of the city by German forces, some seventy years before Hitler’s famous march under the Arc de Triomphe during the Second World War.
Development first began on the Defense district in the fifties, but it wasn’t until the seventies and eighties that construction continued at pace. There are now some forty office towers in the area, and another 15 slated for construction in the next few years. Perhaps the most impressive construction of the last decade has been the monumental Grande Arche De La Defense - a giant square archway, clad in white stone, which lines up perfectly with both the Arc de Triomphe and, several kilometres further on, the smaller carousel arch at the entrance to the Louvre - thus linking this outer district with the very heart of historic Paris.
The authorities responsible for La Defense have been very keen to offset it’s concrete plazas and cold tower blocks with installation art - indeed, the district boasts more than sixty cutting edge (and often very quirky) examples of urban sculpture. You can take a virtual tour of the art collection by visiting the official government website, but it’s worth going to look youself, and most good guidebooks will be able to pinpoint the highlights as you walk around.
Despite these efforts, much of La Defense feels slightly jaded - it certainly isn’t as modern a financial district as London’s bold and swiftly regenerating Dockland’s district, though perhaps ongoing construction work will bring the area a new lease of life. Paris’ largest shopping centre sits on the main concourse, just by the grande arche, and will sell pretty much anything you require, and La Defense also boasts a number of large chain hotels, mostly serving the business community but becoming increasingly popular amongst the tourist trade - the very swift metro line 1 connects La Defense to the city centre in only 15 minutes.
