Without La Défense, would the Bois de Boulogne still exist?
La Défense, France's most vertical neighborhood, is home to nearly 5 million square meters of office space in its towers and buildings. But what if this built heritage did not exceed 10 stories, or even 5 stories? What would have been the impact on the urban landscape? Find out in this video!
Unique in its verticality and slab urbanism, the La Défense district is also a hotbed of architectural creativity with its iconic towers. Its landscape, set against the backdrop of Paris's historic axis, offers an incomparable showcase of contemporary architecture.
Verticality versus urban sprawl
With an average height of 25 stories and a height of 76 meters, the towers of La Défense make it the most vertical district in France. This exceptional density of high-rise buildings allows for nearly 5 million square meters of office space, housing, hotels, shops, and leisure facilities to be contained within a limited area, all connected to one of the largest public transportation hubs in the world.
Verticality is one of the best responses to the fight against urban sprawl and land artificialization. If the height of the towers in La Défense were reduced to an average of 5 stories, the district would occupy an area equivalent to the Bois de Boulogne (855 hectares compared to 171 hectares today). The video projection below gives a better idea of what this would look like.
What if Paris La Défense were less vertical?
This video was designed with the assistance of the Paris La Défense data center (Hamza Fouah) and produced by Vectuel.
A unique and impressive architectural heritage!
A space undergoing constant transformation and modernization, the new face of Paris La Défense is taking shape around the construction and renovation of towers and buildings.
Accompanying the major stages of the site's development, it bears witness to more than half a century of adaptation to technical, environmental, economic, and social advances and is a fascinating reflection of the evolution of architecture.
Indeed, Paris La Défense is the only vertical district in France, with more than 70 “skyscrapers,” 30% of which are grade A. While each one has its own unique personality, together they form a coherent whole. Increasingly elegant, the towers and buildings promise greater comfort, quality of use, and aesthetics for their users.
Some figures
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