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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Île de France
  4. Hauts-de-Seine
  5. 92800 Puteaux

  6. Defence Arche

 Defence Arche à Puteaux dans les Hauts-de-Seine

Patrimoine classé
Maison d'architecte
Ouvrage d'Art
Hauts-de-Seine

Defence Arche

    1 Parvis de la Défense
    92800 Puteaux
Museums of France
All houses of famous French characters Artwork
Photo de Defence Arche

Timeline

Époque contemporaine
2000
1982
Launch of the international competition
25 mai 1983
Selection of the Spreckelsen project
1986
Abandonment of the CICOM project
14 juillet 1989
Inauguration of the Great Arch
2016
Ranking Remarkable Contemporary Architecture
2017
Re-opening after renovation
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Johan Otto von Spreckelsen - Danish architect Original concept of the hollow cube.
Paul Andreu - French architect Responsible for construction and completion.
François Mitterrand - President of the Republic Initiator of the Defense Head Project.
Erik Reitzel - Danish engineer Innovative structural design.
Peter Rice - Engineer Cloud design and facades.
Serge Antoine - Referendum adviser Project cost assessment.

Origin and history

La Grande Arche de la Défense, also known as Arche de la Fraternité, is an emblematic monument located in the business district of La Défense, Puteaux, Île-de-France. Inaugurated on 14 July 1989 for the bicentenary of the French Revolution, it was designed by Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen and produced with the help of French architect Paul Andreu and engineers Erik Reitzel and Peter Rice. This project is part of the major work initiated by François Mitterrand during his first term.

The monument takes the form of an gutted cube, 112 metres long, 106.9 metres wide and 110.9 metres high. It is built in the historical axis of Paris, but with a lag of 6.30° for technical reasons (respect of underground infrastructures) and symbolic (highlight the volume of the cube). The structure uses high quality materials such as prestressed concrete, Carrara marble and granite, although the latter had to replace marble because of its deterioration.

The initial project planned to host the International Communication Hub (CICOM), but this project was abandoned in 1986 after the defeat of the left in the general elections. Spreckelsen, who was put to death by this decision, resigned and died shortly thereafter. Paul Andreu then took over the direction of the works, completing the monument in 1989. The Great Arch was classified as a remarkable contemporary architecture in 2016.

L'Arche has had several uses: ministerial offices, cultural spaces (computer museum, video game museum), and a gazebo with panoramic views. After security problems in 2010, the roof was closed to the public and reopened in 2017 after renovation work. However, in 2023, the roof and its event space closed permanently due to financial losses.

Today, the Grande Arche houses offices, meeting rooms, a campus of the IÉSEG School of Management, and cultural spaces. It remains a major architectural symbol, mixing modernity and political ambition, while embodying the challenges of managing a contemporary monument.

The monument is served by several public transports (RER, metro, tram, bus), making it an accessible and central place in the urban landscape of France. Its bold architecture and its position on the historical axis make it an essential landmark of the Paris region.

External links

Page Wikipedia