Many French presidents, from Georges Pompidou to Valery Giscard d'Esteing had some projects to extend the historic axe through a monumental work of art.
The works to create this extension of the historic axe of Paris (that goes from the Louvre museum to the obelisk of Place de la Concorde and the Arc of Triumph) were started in 1983 upon request of the president Francois Mitterand.
More than 500 projects were presented to the contest for the construction of the monument.
The project of the Danish architect Johann Otto von Spreckelsen won the contest and it prefigured the construction of the Grande Arche.

The monument was inaugurated in july 1989, year of the bicentenary of the French revolution, in occasion of the G7 meeting.
Johann Otto von Spreckelsen has conceived the Grande Arche as a modern version of the Arc of Triumph: a monument consecrated to mankind and to humanitarian principles rather than military victories.
The Grande Arche is an ipercube (108 meters long, 110 high and 112 meters wide) with an empty center.
It has been built on 12 strong pillars and the facades of the monument are covered with 6-cm tick glass sheets, Carrara marble and gray-granite.

The North and the South facades house some sections of the Ministry of Transportation and the Foundation for Human rights.
The last floor includes a meeting center, a museum of informatics, a restaurant and a panoramic viewpoint with an amazing view on the futuristic quarter of la Defense and the West side of Paris. It is possible to access to the high floors using the glass lifts located in the empty part of the monument.

Useful information

Address:
1, parvis de la Défense
92044 Paris La Défense cedex

Tel.: 01 49 07 27 27

Access:
La Défense - Grande Arche
La Défense - Grande Arche

Hours:
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.


Rates:
Full (adults): 9 €
Reduced (up to 17 years): 7,50 €
Free for children under 6 years


For more information:
www.grandearche.com