A
monument in
La Defense, a modern
business area west of
Paris. Completed in 1990, this modern
skyscraper rests at the western end of the
axis of
monuments that runs through
Paris (with
Place de la Concorde on the eastern end and the
Champs Elysees and
Arc de Triomphe in the middle.) It is 110 meters high; the
Notre Dame cathedral could fit within the arch.
The Grande Arche de La Defense houses several government offices, a small museum, and a panoramic elevator and view. Many military and state ceremonies take place on the parvis in front of the arch. From the top of the front steps on a clear day, one can see down the entire length of the axis of monuments to the obelisk at Concorde and the Ferris wheel at the entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries.