intheareaof Paris La Défense Paris La Défense Art Collection The 70 or so works of art alone justify a visit to the parvis and esplanade, where they are sited. The inoffensive Araignée Rouge by Alexander Calder, the Personnages fan- tastiques by Joan Miró, Le Pouce by César, the multicoloured Bassin by Takis, the Fon- taine monumentale by Yaacov Agam, the Doubles lignes indéterminéesby Bernar Paris Venet and theunmissable milestones for contemporary artSlat by Richard Serra are all La Défense enthusiasts.Parvis de la Défense. Paris La Défense. Just a few minutes from Paris, La Défense M Esplanade de la Défense.o is a unique district. Forming a remarkable www.parisladefense.com architectural ensemble, it has continued to Toit de la Grande Arche renew itself from the first high-rise build- A ride of less than one minute in a glass lift ings, in the 1960s, to the inauguration of takes you up to Paris’s largest terrace ... At a the latest generation of towers with high- height of 110 metres, the view of La Défense environmental-quality labels.The surface district and the capital is spectacular. Archi- area of its office spaces makes it the big- tecture buffs willenjoy taking in landmark gest business district in Europe but for the sights including the Fondation Louis Vuitton, visitor, La Défense has many other attrac- the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the tions! Its Grande Arche, built in 1989 during Eiffel Tower. Also onsite, a 1,200 m² cultural the bicentennialof the French Revolution, space dedicated to photojournalism, puts stands at the end of the ‘axis’ on which are the spotlight on major French and interna- aligned the Louvre Museum, the Avenue des tional reporters in four exhibitions each year. Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. 1 parvis de la Défense. At the top of the steps From the roof, the perspective is superb. At of the Grande Arche. Paris La Défense. ground level, a 3-hectare paved pedestrian M La Défense – Grande Arche.o area is a great place to stroll and admire the 01 40 90 52 20. Daily: 10am-7pm. surrounding buildings as wellas the amaz- Full rate: €15. www.lagrandearche.fr ing collection of monumental contempo- rary artworks. Throughout the year, cultural, musicaland sporting events and enter- tainment take place in this space, which is dotted with ornamental pools. La Défense also has a number of restaurants and cafes, two shopping centres (the Cnit and Quatre Temps) and cinemas. The Paris La Défense Arena,located behind the Arche, hosts major sporting and music events. It is the only venue of its kind in the world to have stands in a ‘U’ shape and so offers a unique immersive experience. Parvis de la Défense. Paris La Défense. M La Défense – Grande Arche.o www.parisladefense.com WEST PARIS 45