Tours Cœur Défense

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Tours Cœur Défense by Jean-Paul Viguier, 2001
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“Cœur Défense is an office skyscraper in La Défense, the high-rise business district west of Paris, France. With 350,000 m2 (3.77 million sq. ft), it is the building with the most floor space in Europe along with the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest. Coeur Défense was built in 2001, replacing the former Esso Tower, the first building of the old generation to be destroyed in La Défense. Cœur Défense is a large complex made of two main bodies connected to one another by a smaller body and seating on a wide basis made of several smaller bodies. The edges of all bodies are rounded. The cladding is white, with large windows. An electronic system monitors white blinds which can be drawn or opened all together at the same time. The two main bodies are 161 m (528 ft) tall each. Both of them are relatively thin as their width is only 24 m (79 ft), and they are out of line with each other, so that sunlight can reach all parts of the building. Lehman Brothers' €2.1bn top-of-the-market purchase of Coeur Défense, was expected to become Europe's largest distressed property sale. Due to falling property values, and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the transaction was under stress. The borrower who owns the building, Heart of La Défense, had placed itself under sauvegarde .” (Cœur Défense, Wikipedia)

Le Moretti

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Le Moretti by Raymond Moretti, 1992
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“Moretti's vivid imagination was able to express itself freely, transforming a 32-metre air vent into an unusual, colourful artwork. Using 672 fibreglass tubes from 2 to 30 centimetres in diameter, painted in 19 different colours, he covered the entire surface to better underline the volume while maintaining a verticality, offering an insolent and joyful dynamic. In total, the tubes are 22 kilometres long and weigh 27.5 tons! The artwork was created in 1990. The tubes were transported by barge from the manufacturing plant to the location of the chimney and required a total of 2,100 hours of assembly time. It was inaugurated in 1995.” (Le Moretti, Paris La Défense)

Mosaïque

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Mosaïque (Mosaic) by Michel Devern, 1981
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“The architect Henri La Fonta, who designed the Les Miroirs building, had already thought of arranging the central space in a design spirit, using cylindrical volumes. Michel Deverne has extended the aestheticism of the ensemble, underlining the ‘plastic effect’ with an imposing 3000 m² mosaic.” (Mosaïque, Paris La Défense)

Tour Kvaerner

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Tour Kvaerner
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“The Prisma Tower, formerly the GAN Eurocourtage Tower and then the Kvaerner Tower, is an office skyscraper located in the French business district of La Défense (specifically in Courbevoie). The initial construction of the tower was carried out by Jean Willerval in 1998.” (Tour Prisma, Wikipedia)

Bassin

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Bassin (Basin) by Vassilakis Panayotis, aka Takis, 1988
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“Takis has imagined an aquatic surface, about 50 metres on each side, on which are placed 49 multicoloured lights of different heights (between 3.50 and 9 metres) that seem to be spring-mounted. Perfectly integrated into the perspective of the historical axis, visible from the Esplanade and from Neuilly, these lights, with their colourful geometric shapes, flash and swing in a playful and enchanting ballet.” (Bassin, Paris La Défense)

Tour Allianz One

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Tour Allianz One by Jean Willerval, 1984
Puteaux, La Défense
Paris, July 2002

“The Allianz One tower, formerly PFA tower then AGF - Athena tower (or simply Athena tower) is an office tower located in the French business district of La Défense (specifically in Puteaux). The tower was built in 1984. It is the work of architects Jean Willerval and Branko Vulic. The tower has successively borne the names of AGF tower and PFA tower. From 2012 to 2015, the tower underwent a very large-scale renovation. During the works, it was known as PB25. Following the completion of the works, in November 2015, the company Allianz Real Estate took possession of the tower, which was then named Allianz One Tower and became the headquarters of the Allianz insurance group.” (Tour Allianz One, Wikipedia)

Vert-Galant

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Square du Vert-Galant
Île de la Cité
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Square du Vert-Galant is a small, triangular park pointing downstream located at the western tip of the Ile de la Cité, next to the Pont Neuf, in the First Arrondissement of Paris. It was created in 1884 by joining two small islands to the larger island. The Square du Vert-Galant earns its name from Henry IV of France, who was nicknamed Vert-Galant (Green Gallant) due to having numerous mistresses despite his advanced age at the time. Additionally, there is the large bronze Equestrian statue of Henry IV overlooking the square, now oxidized to a green hue.” (Square du Vert-Galant, Wikipedia)

Quai de Montebello

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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris)
Seen from Quai de Montebello
Île de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Metamorphosis

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“Metamorphosis”
Métamorphosis Théâtre de Magie de Paris
Quai de Montebello
Quartier Saint-Victor, 5th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Bâtiment Colbert

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Bâtiment « Colbert »
Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances
Rue de Bercy
Quartier de Bercy, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Ministry of the Economy and Finance building (Siège du ministère de l'Économie et des Finances) is the headquarters of the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance or the departments in which it is occasionally redistributed, built in the 1980s in the Bercy area of the 12th arrondissement of Paris. It is commonly known as Bercy, a term also used by metonymy for the ministry itself. It was commissioned as part of the Grands Travaux of President François Mitterrand, and designed by the architects Paul Chemetov and Borja Huidobro for the main area, as well as Louis Arretche and Roman Karasinsky for the two northwestern buildings. It is a massive complex made of several buildings, named after major French statesmen (Colbert, Necker, Sully, Turgot, Vauban), as well as of a detached convention centre. It includes both a port, where the southern end plunges into the river Seine, and a heliport, although no longer used. In addition, the building spans over two major roads, and has a wing adjacent to the gare de Lyon. As typical of postmodern architecture, it includes inspirations from the history of architecture, such as the general shape of a viaduct, a (dry) moat, and a large ceremonial bronze gate. The entrance, and postal address (139, rue de Bercy), is a pre-existing and much smaller pavilion. It is sometimes called a ‘citadel’ or ‘fortress’, in reference to the building's impressive architecture as well as to the power of the department within the Government of France. Construction lasted between 1984 and 1989. The ministry was previously housed since 1871 in the Richelieu Wing of the Louvre, which needed to be vacated as part of the Grand Louvre project.” (Ministry of the Economy and Finance building, Wikipedia)

Gas canisters

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Gas canisters on a boat
Port de la Gare
Quai d'Austerlitz
Quartier de la Gare, 13th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Under the viaduct

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Under the viaduct
Pont de Bercy
Paris, July 2002

“The Pont de Bercy (Bridge of Bercy) is a bridge over the Seine in Paris. It links the 12th and 13th arrondissement of Paris by extending the Boulevard de Bercy and Boulevard Vincent-Auriol. In addition to the roadway, the bridge also carries Line 6 of the Paris Métro, between Quai de la Gare station and Bercy station. The Pont de Bercy was built at the site of another bridge, a suspension bridge opened in 1832 to replace a ferry that had become overcrowded and thus exceeded its tonnage limit. The former bridge had a toll: one sou (5 centimes) for pedestrians, 3 sous per two-wheeled cabriolet (including persons transported) and 5 sous per car with four wheels attached to two horses. Between 1863 and 1864, it was replaced by a stronger stone structure. In 1904, the bridge was enlarged by 5.5 metres (18 feet) to support Line 6 of the Paris Métro. In 1986, the decision was made to further enlarge the bridge in order to create three additional lanes for traffic. The winning bid proposed doubling the bridge by adding extensions perfectly symmetrical to the underground viaduct. Although identical in all respects to the original, the new addition is built of reinforced concrete and covered with a stone dressing. The work started in 1989 and the bridge was opened in 1992, effectively adding 16 metres (52 feet) for a total width of 35 metres (115 feet).” (Pont de Bercy, Wikipedia)

Bibliothèque François Mitterrand

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Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
Quai François-Mauriac
Quartier de la Gare, 13th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“On 14 July 1988, President François Mitterrand announced ‘the construction and the expansion of one of the largest and most modern libraries in the world, intended to cover all fields of knowledge, and designed to be accessible to all, using the most modern data transfer technologies, which could be consulted from a distance, and which would collaborate with other European libraries’. Due to initial trade union opposition, a wireless network was fully installed only in August 2016. In July 1989, the services of the architectural firm of Dominique Perrault were retained. The design was recognized with the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 1996. The construction was carried out by Bouygues. Construction of the library ran into huge cost overruns and technical difficulties related to its high-rise design, so much so that it was referred to as the ‘TGB’ or ‘Très Grande Bibliothèque’ (lit. Very Large Library, a sarcastic allusion to the successful TGV high-speed rail system). After the move of the major collections from the Rue de Richelieu, the National Library of France was inaugurated on 15 December 1996. As of 2016, the BnF contains roughly 14 million books at its four Parisian sites (Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand, Richelieu, Arsenal, and Opéra) as well as printed documents, manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps and plans, scores, coins, medals, sound documents, video and multimedia documents, and scenery elements. The library retains the use of the Rue de Richelieu complex for some of its collections.” (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Wikipedia)

Port de la Rapée

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Port de la Rapée
Quai de la Rapée
Quartier des Quinze-Vingts, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Port de la Rapée in the 12th arrondissement is currently not very well known by the public, but it soon will be with the installation of new leisure facilities. The Mistinguett cabaret-boat, already in business and renowned for its cancan shows, increases the attractions of the Port de Plaisance. A riverside station named La Rapée will include a restaurant and an events venue and will serve as a boarding point for two transport passenger boats on the Seine and the Marne. The project will be put into operation at the end 2010/beginning 2011.” (Port de la Rapée, Paris je t'aime)

La forteresse de Bercy

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Bâtiment « Colbert »
Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances
Rue de Bercy
Quartier de Bercy, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Printemps Haussmann

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Printemps Haussmann
Boulevard Haussmann
Quartier de la Chaussée-d'Antin, 9th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Palais Royal

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Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre, métro station
Rue de Rivoli
Quartier du Palais-Royal, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Musée Cernuschi

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Musée Cernuschi
Avenue Vélasquez
Quartier de l'Europe, 8th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Musée Cernuschi (Cernuschi Museum) is an Asian art museum, specialising in works from China, Japan, and Korea, located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France. Its collection in Asian art is second only to the Musée Guimet in Paris. The nearest Paris Métro stops to the museum are Villiers or Monceau on Line 2. The Cernuschi Museum is one of the 14 City of Paris' Museums that have been incorporated since January 1, 2013 in the public institution Paris Musées.” (Musée Cernuschi, Wikipedia)

La pyramide Monceau

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The Egyptian Pyramid, 1778
Parc Monceau
Boulevard de Courcelles
Quartier de l'Europe, 8th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The garden designed by Carmontelle was finished in 1779. It contained a miniature ancient Egyptian pyramid, a Roman colonnade, antique statues, a pond of water lilies, a tatar tent, a farmhouse, a Dutch windmill, a temple of Mars, a minaret, an Italian vineyard, an enchanted grotto, and ‘a gothic building serving as a chemistry laboratory,’ as described by Carmontelle. In addition to the follies, the garden featured servants dressed in oriental and other exotic costumes, and unusual animals, such as camels.” (Parc Monceau, Wikipedia)

Detail of the colonnade

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Detail of the colonnade
Parc Monceau
Boulevard de Courcelles
Quartier de l'Europe, 8th arrondissement
Paris, July 2011

Cavé et Lemaître

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Grave of François Cavé (1794-1875) and Louis Lemaître
Cimetière de Montmartre (Montmartre Cemetery)
Avenue Rachel
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Robert Mayet

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Robert Mayet (1895-1991)
Cimetière de Montmartre (Montmartre Cemetery)
Avenue Rachel
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Famille de Gas

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Famille de Gas
Cimetière de Montmartre (Montmartre Cemetery)
Avenue Rachel
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Delamare-Bichsel

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Sépulture Delamare-Bichsel
Cimetière de Montmartre (Montmartre Cemetery)
Avenue Rachel
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Rue André-Antoine

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Street with stairs
Rue André-Antoine, Montmartre
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Abbesses

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Édicule Guimard
Place des Abbesses, Montmartre
Quartier de Clignancourt, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“Ninety-one Guimard entrances survived until 1970. Eighty-six are still extant and protected as historical monuments; six were protected in 1965, the remainder in 1978. These include two original Type B édicules: at Porte Dauphine, on its original site and with the wall panels, and at Abbesses (moved from Hôtel de Ville in 1974). A third Type B of varying form at Châtelet is a 2000 recreation. The remainder of the preserved entrances are simple enclosures or entourages, with or without the light and sign arch. In addition, two sides of an entourage form an entryway to the headquarters building of the RATP.” (Paris Métro entrances by Hector Guimard, Wikipedia)

Lapin Agile

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Lapin Agile
Rue des Saules, Montmartre
Quartier de Clignancourt, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Rue des Saules

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Lapin Agile
Rue des Saules, Montmartre
Quartier de Clignancourt, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Moulin Rouge

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“Moulin Rouge” cabaret
Boulevard de Clichy
Quartier des Grandes-Carrières, 18th arrondissement
Paris, July 2006

Eiffel Tower

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Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)
Avenue Anatole France
Quartier du Gros-Caillou, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Water hoses fountain

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“Fountain 2002” by Bertrand Lavier
Palais de Tokyo
Avenue du Président-Wilson
Quartier de Chaillot, 16th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002