Building Phases - Individuality - La Grande Arche
La Grande Arche
Johann Otto Spreckelsen was the architect who won the international architectural competition of 1982 with 424 participants. His project "La Grande Arche" was convincing and fulfiled the requirements and high expectations. It should be and is today a new, modern and symbolic landmark. Furthermore and very imporant was the fact, that this building did not close the virtual west-east axis which crosses the city of Paris and which La Défense is next to. The form of La Grande Arche looks like a cube and a bit similar to the Arc de Triomphe. This is why La Grande Arche stands for the triomph of the office society so to speak.
The opening was celebrated in 1989 on the 200th anniversay of the French Revolution. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction, photo motif and meeting point for the lunch break.
Some facts and figures:
- 300.000 tons
- 25.000 square meter glass
- 35 floors
- more than 1 Mio. visitors each year
- no closure of the axis
- amongst others used as an office building
- extravagant artistic decoration (elevator, sculptures, structural steelwork)
The opening was celebrated in 1989 on the 200th anniversay of the French Revolution. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction, photo motif and meeting point for the lunch break.
Some facts and figures:
- 300.000 tons
- 25.000 square meter glass
- 35 floors
- more than 1 Mio. visitors each year
- no closure of the axis
- amongst others used as an office building
- extravagant artistic decoration (elevator, sculptures, structural steelwork)
View upwards
Elevator
