Esplanade de La Défense: station history
Served by: metro line 1.
Did you know?
The station is on the eastern side of the esplanade of the La Défense district, hence its name; its project name was Puteaux - Courbevoie. It opened with the extension of line 1 from Pont de Neuilly to La Défense. The structure of the « La Défense - Michelet » station, planned as early as the 1970s by the EPAD, was left unused. It encroaches on the A14 motorway tunnel, cut by one lane in each direction compared with the original project, which explains its narrowness and its single island platform.
Anecdote
Above the station, the pool by the Greek artist Takis is a shallow expanse of water on which stand 49 multicoloured light beacons, 3.50 to 9 m high. From the end of the platform, looking towards Paris, you can see the Arc de Triomphe.
Around Esplanade de La Défense
- Grande Arche, 900 m away — A monumental structure opened in 1989, large enough to fit Notre-Dame beneath its central opening.
- Esplanade de La Défense, 180 m away — A vast pedestrian promenade dotted with contemporary art, the heart of the business district.
- Pont de Neuilly, 500 m away — An iconic bridge linking Paris to Neuilly-sur-Seine, the gateway to the business district.