Paris - Tuileries Gates - 1er

Plate VI - Tuileries Gates ...

As a portal into the city’s 1st arrondissement the gilded gates to the Tuileries Gardens separate the gardens from the Place de La Concorde. Beyond the gates lay extensive work as the Grande Louvre was taking shape. An area of Paris as old as the city itself, I doubt that work and change of some nature will ever cease here. But it is always done with the care for a visitor that is a trademark of the French – making you feel that it is being undertaken for you alone and therefore, in a strange way, you welcome it. Informative signage explains exactly what is being done, and plans for the eventual end result are generally on view to further inform the traveler.

Beyond the Place de la Concorde the seemingly ever-present Eiffel Tower towers (what else would it do?) to give all visitors their bearings in the city. Despite a generally poor sense of direction elsewhere in the world, I never lost my way in Paris. Surrounded and populated by many landmarks, anyone taking a few minutes, at one of the many vantage points (I have suggested the Grande Arche at La Défense), to familiarise themselves with Paris’s layout will find navigation through the often labyrinthine streets and byways quite simple. Besides, if you do get momentarily lost you are likely to find some place of interest in almost any area that it will make it more a pleasure than an annoyance. A good book on Paris walks is therefore almost a must, as many a gem will be missed if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Paris - Axe Historique - La Défense

Plate V - Grande Arche view of the Axe Historique …

If I have one recommendation for any first time visitor to Paris it is to start your visit, whether you are here for one day or several, with a familiarization viewing of the city from the top of the Grande Arche. Although I was to make several unforgivable (but enjoyable) ‘blunders’ in planning my city wanderings, you will truly get a feeling for the siting of everything you will see or want to see during your time here. This is to Paris, what the London Eye has become to that other nearby capital across the channel.

The almost nine and a half kilometer precision of the historical axis (and indeed Haussman’s city plans radiating from Etoile) becomes apparent with the view from here. Proceeding from La Défense along the Ave. de la Grande Armée, through the Arc de Triomphe, along the Champs Elysées, throught the third arch (du Carrousel) and onto the Louvre, you will also understand the axe’s other name the Voie Triomphale (Triumphal Way). Some slight deviations from perfection do exist, (I have previously mentioned the almost negligible 6.33 degree rotation of the Grande Arche) the axis having been planned along the center of Tuileries Gardens rather than the Vieux Louvre (as the old palace was called). Cleverly, Haussman placed Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel on the fulcrum point of the Tuileries Palace to Vieux Louvre axis, disguising the ‘fault’ of the join. Further sympathy to the axis was shown by I.M Pei in placing the equestrian statue of Louis XIV adjacent to his Pyramide in the Cour Napoléon of the Grande Louvre design – marking the furthest point of the axis.

Although I did not know it at the time of my visit, a secondary axis forms along the line of the Eiffel Tower, and the Tour Montparnasse. Notice the seemingly solid lower section of the Eiffel Tower in the picture, caused by the alignment of these two landmark city edifices. It was only while questioning the strange apparent solidity of the tower that I discovered how, through fortunate chance, I had captured this placement. It would seem however that nothing about Paris happens through mere chance.

Paris - Grande Arche Focus - La Défense

Plate IV - Grande Arche elevators…

Amongst the unique features of the Grande Arche are the elevators taking visitors to the belvedere platform forming the span, or roof, of the structure. These comprise of transparent panoramic bubbles or pods. Rising from ground level with increasingly dramatic views of the Paris skyline they allow occupants a 360-degree view of the trip up the 110-metre side of the arche. Even the pod roof is fully transparent as evidenced by this look up through the scaffold-like framework guiding the elevator to the top, into the ever-enlarging aperture and then through into the viewing platform. This platform is an exhibition center, housing a permanent multi-media museum covering the history of the arche, and frequently changing exhibitions of art in the Paris gallery. The elevators run daily, from 10h00 a.m. to 19h00 p.m., with the last one going up at 18h30 p.m..  

Being alone and on business, I was to miss my wife on many occasions in this city of love - but my ascension in the pod was not one of them, for she will climb almost any number of stairs or stay at ground level in preference to taking even a regular enclosed elevator, such is her dislike of them. However, she liked the picture!!

The outlook over the city is spectacular.

Paris - Grande Arche Detail - La Défense

Plate III - Grande Arche de la Fraternite

The three main elements of the Grande Arche are: the arche itself (comprising of two glazed side tower blocks of some 87,000 square metres and a linking belvedere platform creating the span); the Teflon canvas, steel and glass cloud; and the exposed external elevator shaft. Clad in three hectares of white Italian Carrara marble the shape of the arche can be seen from many vantage points throughout Paris. It is arguably the greatest architectural contribution to the city skyline of the twentieth century, and like many of the city’s architectural features it was a controversial addition. Designed by Danish architect Johann Otto Von Spreckelsen in 1983, on an initiative launched by incumbent French president Francois Mitterand in 1981, the arche was inaugurated on 14th July 1989 to coincide with the bicentenary of the French Revolution (and a full century after the Eiffel Tower). The date also coincided with the 15th G7 Summit. 

The arche, at a height of 110 metres (about 300 feet) and forming an almost perfect cube at 108 metres wide, could enclose Notre Dame cathedral. The mass of the arche is calculated at about 300,000 tons – approximately six times the mass of the Eiffel Tower - (the 'roof' contributing some 30,000 of these), and it rests almost centred (it is inexplicably turned at 6.33 degrees) on the furthest point of the historical axis of Paris, on twelve pillars. I choose to believe this slight rotation gives an impression of its depth from any point along the axis (others will tell you it was a more pragmatic decision, taken to accommodate the deep foundations of twelve massive concrete piles intruding into the subterranean train and metro stations below).

The interior space of the Grande Arche is made interesting by the inclusion of “the cloud”. This may be adjusted by height and shape to suit events taking place within the space of the arche. Dramatic lighting effects at night make the cloud visible from distances kilometres away, down the spine of the historical axis, making the name of the shape entirely appropriate, for it’s changing form truly is reminiscent of a cloud.

The arche was constructed in an amazingly short three years. I was in complete awe. It is magnificent – a word I found myself overusing then as I probably shall again and again now. Forgive me.

Paris - Grande Arche - La Défense

Plate II - Quatre Temps, the Grande Arche, and CNIT…

La Défense is primarily a business area. Named for a statue (La Défense de Paris) commemorating the defense of Paris in the 1870 Franco-Prussian war, many of the city’s highest office buildings and large commercial premises are situated here, including the Quatre Temps shopping mall (left). Typical of modern malls a wide range of shops is to be found, the tenant mix catering for both residents of the nearby Nanterre, as well as the office workers of La Défense itself.

Although not the tallest building in the area (that dubious honour belonging to the GAN Tower) La Défense is dominated by the Grande Arche de la Fraternité (centre), constructed in 1989, the centennial year of the Eiffel Tower, and in it’s own way just as significant a landmark of Paris. Also dubbed the Tête Défense this arche celebrates humanity rather than the military victories of Napoleon’s two other Parisian arches.

An exhibition of sculptural works was in place in the spaces surrounding the Arche, one of which can be seen in the image.

It would be hard to miss the nearby CNIT (Centre des Nouvelles Industries et Technologies (right)), with its amazing shell like roof construction. Constructed in the late 1950’s France once again used designs, methods and technologies others thought unrealistic at the time. A popular venue for conventions, exhibitions and conferences the expansive 22,500 square metre reinforced concrete roof (it remains the largest of its kind in the world) is supported only at three points, each some 200 metres apart. Interestingly many of the grand landmarks of Paris are the legacy of various French presidents. Not to be outdone by his predecessors President Sarkozy has perhaps the grandest (and most controversial) vision of all with his plans today for a Grand Paris - a vision that could change the way future generations will see Paris forever.