La Défense – Puteaux
La Défense district is located in the town of Puteaux, on the eastern edge of Paris. Spanning 560 hectares, it is the largest purpose-built business district in Europe.
Puteaux was the ideal location for this ambitious project. Indeed, the town was severely bombarded and reduced to ruins during the Franco-Peussian War of 1870-71, as it lay between Mont Valérien, one of the sixteen forts of Paris, and the Prussian lines.
Puteaux was also one of the most active defensive centres of Paris, thanks to the fierce resistance of French soldiers and civilians who defended the city to the very last minute, giving Puteaux the legendary name of “La Défense de Paris.”
The sculptor Barrias immortalized the courage and determination of these defenders with a famous statue. This statue, erected in Puteaux in 1883, was christened “La Défense de Paris,” and gave its name to the new district.
By the end of the 19th century, Puteaux was a vast, desolate area whose extensive vacant lots quickly became home to factories and various industries.
Business District Development
Until the mid-20th century, Puteaux was a sort of urban wasteland, partly industrial and dotted with dilapidated and sometimes unsanitary housing.
Its transformation began with the development of the business district, which took place between 1957 and 1989. The Esso Tower, the first building constructed, was inaugurated in 1958 and marked the beginning of an exceptional modernisation of the district.
In 1964, the CNIT (National Centre for Industry and Technology) was inaugurated, constituting the second major addition. Initially limited to a height of 100 metres, the CNIT has since been expanded and is now among the tallest skyscrapers in Paris.
Since its inception, La Défense has attracted over 70 renowned French and international companies that have established their headquarters there.
Among the best-known are Arcelor, Areva, Aventis, Tour First (Axa), Fiat, EDF, Elf, Gan, Manhattan Tower, Neuf Cegetel, Société Générale, and Total. Together, their imposing glass and steel skyscrapers offer approximately 3.5 million square metres of office space.
La Défense’s integration into Paris was further strengthened with the opening of RER line A in 1970 and Metro line 1 in 1992. The opening of the vast Les Quatre Temps shopping centre in the early 1980s contributed to the district’s appeal.
La Défense underwent a major redevelopment program, initiated in 2006, which subdivided the district into 12 zones centred around the Grande Arche de la Défense and Les Quatre Temps.
The district was thus enhanced with some sixty varied works of art, ranging from classical to contemporary, some are temporary installations, others permanent, the most emblematic of which is Le Pouce de César, a giant thumb statue.
A visit takes at least half a day, as this district is very large.
Directions: Parvis de la Défense – Puteaux – Department of Hauts-de-Seine
Metro: Esplanade de la Défense on Line 1 or RER A
Coordinates: Lat 48.889736 – Long 2.241843
Photo Wikimedia Commons: Header by Wokel CC BY-SA 3.0 – Barrias’ statue by Chabe01 CC BY-SA 4.0 – District seen from top Grande Arche by Bretwa CC BY-SA 4.0 – Business district by David Monniaux CC BY-SA 3.0
