La Défense

La Défense [ ladefɑ ː s] is a modern high -rise district west of Paris, in the département of Hauts -de -Seine and is Europe's largest city office. Administratively, the cities of Courbevoie, Puteaux, and Nanterre divide the 160 hectare area.

The criss-crossed with a 1.2 km long and 250 m wide pedestrian district, whose planning began in 1955, is home to many banks and insurance companies. Impressive buildings are the towers Areva, Manhattan, Tour Gan Tour Total Coupole and the CNIT called former exhibition hall, now used partly as a hotel, partly as a business and convention center. However, most well-known buildings in this area is the Grande Arche, a modern version of the Arc de Triomphe.

Facts and Figures

La Défense is divided into twelve sectors with 31 acres of stone slabs and 11 acres of parkland. Overall, here are three million square feet of office space and 25,000 underground parking for 150,000 employees and 600,000 m² of living space. In the slightly more than 10,000 apartments, 20,000 people live, and there are 2600 hotel rooms available. Among the companies based here in 2500 14 of the 20 largest French companies and 13 of the 50 largest corporations are represented.

History

The name of the district derives from the monument " La Défense de Paris ", which was erected in honor of the soldiers who defended the city during the Franco - German War of 1870 (French défendre ). The bronze sculpture by Louis -Ernest Barrias was inaugurated in 1883 in the middle of a roundabout course in Courbevoie. It was removed during the first phase of the Défense district and later set on the concrete slab precisely at their original location again.

The hill on which now stands the Grande Arche, once bore the name Chantecocq or Hahn Sang. Already under Louis XV the major axis of today's Avenue des Champs -Élysées was extended to here as an avenue; on the hill itself was, however, well into the 19th century a windmill. The actual development of La Défense began with the founding of the Etablissement Public d' Aménagement de La Défense ( development Trägergesellschaft La Défense ), short EPAD in 1958. Task of this independent State Building Authority to the traditional Parisian banking and business district was around the Grands Boulevards and to relieve the Arc de Triomphe and supply them with the necessary infrastructure. In the same year was a private initiative with the Exhibition Centre Centre des nouvelles industries et technologies: opened a pilot project on the Defense Hill (formerly CNIT, Centre National de l'Industrie et Technique).

1963 saw the new office quarter to take concrete shape. The building had, however, be provided in the coming years only by a continuous surface restoration, as it was working-class district, factory area of towns Courbevoie, Nanterre and Puteaux in which provided for the development area. First, 850,000 sqm of office space should be created in regularly spaced towers. An important part of the development plan was the establishment of a 40-acre elevated plate, which should include the central pedestrian zone. From there, the access to the individual buildings to build, took place. Access roads, parking lots and other infrastructure were moved into the region below the plate. 1965 was opened with the tour Esso (1993 demolished in favor of the Cœur Défense ) is the first office building. By 1970 also the Nobel Tours, Aquitaine, Europe and Aurore were completed. At this time, the Defense was a huge construction site. In the same year the quick RER was that La Défense with the stations Auber ( at the Paris Opera ) and connects the Arc de Triomphe, realized. This was one of the basic prerequisites for the success of this new district on the outskirts of the city created.

The ecological and economical moving 1970s also brought La Défense certain problems. A storm of protest arose in the summer of 1972, when it became clear that the new high-rise would affect the perspective of the Champs- Élysées. Prime Minister Valéry Giscard d' Estaing made ​​himself strong for a construction freeze. The economic recession after the oil shock of 1973 also led to a stagnation phase of the construction project. Peter Handke, the La Défense visited on 22 February 1974 wrote ( in: As has wishing still helped ): " La Défense should really be restricted zone - because as the secrets of the technocratic world betrayed quite outrageous. " Despite the temporarily very critical media climate In 1978 the government of Raymond Barre La Défense continues to build.

Now, a new generation was built from smaller, greener skyscrapers. 1981 opened a large shopping center (Les Quatre Temps ) opened its doors. 1983 ( "The Great Arch ") of the Danish architect Johan Otto was in an international competition, the office building la Grande Arche awarded von Spreckelsen and officially opened in 1989. In step with the changing zeitgeist and with the growing success of La Défense, an enhancement of the role of private capital took place. The SARI ( Société d'administration et de réalisation d' investissements ) under Christian Pellerin about it had succeeded, especially in the stagnation years from 1973 cheap buy building permits that could be successfully marketed in the sequence. In the following years was the major axis, which should end with the first gate construction Spreckelsens further expanded to the west.

Presence

From the July 2007 launched at the initiative of the Etablissement Public de l' Aménagement de La Défense ( EPAD ) international competition for the construction of a " tour Signal" said emblematic skyscraper finally went to a first, taken in January 2008 pre-selection in the following March, five finalists out: Jacques Ferrier Architectures, Foster Partners, Studio Libeskind Architect, Atelier Jean Nouvel and Wilmotte et Associés. For winners the jury on 27 May 2008 Jean Nouvel chose for his innovative project that residential and office space with a hotel, shopping areas and landscaped recreational areas combined. In March 2010 it was announced that the project will not be pursued further.

As a result of the financial crisis is the face of a rent level of 600 to 700 € / m² annually since 2008 by an increased outflow of companies located in La Défense business in other suburbs of Paris noticeable where the area for comparable offices in early 2009 with only 300 to 400 € / m² were annually. Pulled away is about the insurance giant Axa ( Nanterre ). Even the somewhat dated older parts of the first office building in La Défense not equipped as contemporary is now regarded; so it is missing there about to flexible office concepts.

La Défense Jazz Festival takes place here and in the surrounding area.