La Defence

La Grande Arche at La Defence is an imposing and unique building.

The city of Paris, to preserve the feeling of being in Paris, has a zoning law that restricts the height of any new building. As a result, the city skyline is still dominated by the Eiffel Tower and you can still enjoy panoramic views from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Big business however demands huge office buildings where France's largest companies can house a great percentage of its workers under one roof. And thus, La Defence was created in the western suburbs of Paris in an area called Puteaux.

The buildings of La Defence are not simply office towers however, this is Paris, and fashion extends even to its buildings. The structures at La Defence are all unique and each has a very different profile from the rest. The shapes are all different with arcs, cylinders, crescents, and squares all mingled together. The result is a visually stimulating environment that would inspire any architectural student.

The shopping center at La Defence houses more then 230 stores.

Every Monday afternoon, I make the trip to La Defence to teach at Societe Generale, France's second largest bank. Mindy makes the same trip every Thursday morning. Of course, Tours SG (The Societe Generale Towers) are equally imposing compared to any of their brethren at La Defence. Just a little bit different then downtown Edmonton.

Tours SG is actually three towers joined together at the base.