Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The major axis is an urban artistic creation designed by the Israeli sculptor Dani Karavan from 1980, integrated into the heart of the new city of Cergy-Pontoise. The work extends over 3.2 km, connecting the district of the Axis Major-Horloge (formerly Saint-Christophe) to the banks of the Oise, passing through twelve symbolic stations. This ambitious project, initiated in the 1980s, aims to structure urban space while creating a dialogue between art, architecture and nature. The realization spans three decades, marked by phases of shutdown and recovery, especially in the 2000s with the completion of stations bordering Oise.

The first phase of construction (1985–1990) saw the construction of the Belvedere Tower (1986), a 1.5° inclined starting point evoking the Pisa Tower, as well as stations such as the Verger des impressionnistes, the Esplanade de Paris (with its twelve columns of white concrete), and the Jardin des droits de l'homme. These elements are part of a logic of highlighting the natural and historical heritage, such as the tribute to Camille Pissarro or Pierre Mendès France. However, the project slowed down in the 1990s due to budgetary constraints and political disinterest, despite the official inauguration by François Mitterrand in 1990.

The resumption of the project in the mid-2000s, under the impetus of the community of Cergy-Pontoise and President Jean-Paul Huchon, allowed the finalization of emblematic stations such as the Red Passerelle (2008), the Gérard-Philipe Amphitheatre, and the Bassin. These achievements transform the Axis into a place of passage and contemplation, linking the high districts of Saint-Christophe to the natural spaces of the Cergy ponds. The green laser beam, emitted from the Belvedere Tower, visually unifies the ensemble over 3.2 km, while elements such as the Astronomical Island or the Pyramid add a symbolic and landscape dimension.

Axis majore is part of the context of the new French cities of the 1960s and 1980s, designed to relieve congestion in Paris. Cergy-Pontoise, organised around a loop of Oise, relies on cultural and artistic infrastructures to forge its identity. Dani Karavan, in collaboration with urban planners such as Michel Jaouën or Ricardo Bofill, integrates the work into a reflection on public space, combining modernity and historical references (ancient columns, astronomical observatories). Despite his partial incompleteness (like the Carrefour de Ham), the Axis became a symbol of the city, used for filming, music clips (rappers like Disiz or Maître Gims), and even a Louis Vuitton parade in 2021.

The financing (€38 million in value 2010) and the realization of the Major Axis illustrate the challenges of urban art projects over the long term. Led by local actors and patrons, it now embodies a living work, both contemporary heritage and living space. Its accessibility, mainly pedestrian, makes it a place for walking and discovery, although some stations remain difficult to access. In 2022, a Bible guide even proposed thematic paths to explore its symbols.

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