Mountainous solitude in an urban jungle?
La Defence in Paris is like a large stone steppe surrounded by mountainous buildings. The steppe itself has watering holes in the shape of a large mirroring pool (used by dogs and birds mainly) and various cafes (humans).
In La Defence you can be quite on your own, despite having people around you. Simply because the area is so large.
The pictures below were taken on a hot summers day with a high altitude overcast of thin clouds.
Before getting to the Great Arc.
The La Défense district (with the great 110 meter high cube Grande Arche de la Fraternité) is an immense area. The mountainous buildings are made of stone, steel and glass.
Whether of not you would call them art, is up to you. But they are certainly impressive.
Arc de la Défence. The Great Fraternity Arc.
The Grande Arche de la Fraternité - in short Great Arch - is a marvellous cube-shaped, open building.
The great Arch was finished in 1989, having been decided by president Mitterand in 1983. It was designed Johan Otto Von Spreckelsen. A highly futuristic desig at the time. It probably still is.
Interestingly it houses eg. the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Regional Planning.
