Currents
June 2018
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under the presidency of Françoise Mitterrand. At its
1989 unveiling on the 200th anniversary of the
French Revolution, it was dedicated to human rights
and brotherhood.
Like the controversial Pompidou Center, a mod-
ern art construct of exoskeletal drainpipes, La
Défense has its critics. But none can deny the suc-
cess of the soaring towers of La Défense in sparing
elegant old Paris, by separating the commercial
infrastructure of the capital from its fragile heritage.
The area is residential, too, adding housing stock to
a city long hindered by building height restrictions.
Although it is a short Métro ride from Paris' heart,
La Défense is time travel at its most comfortable,
with good food guaranteed at arrival. Where else
could le dernier cri (the latest thing) co-exist with cul-
tural tradition?
We look to Paris for innovative design and next-
wave philosophy, while reveling in what it has pre-
served for us of its medieval and
Renaissance past. For that rea-
son, La Défense is best visited at
the end of a Paris trip, a
panoramic closure to eons of
French history and endeavor.
We Support Our Troops
Start packing. The world is
waiting to meet you.
[Reprint from June 2014]
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