Photos of the Grande Arche Roof in September 1989
In early September 1989, a few weeks after the inauguration of the Grande Arche, I went up to its roof to discover this new space while visiting the Libertés en exil exhibition. I took a series of black-and-white photographs that also show the original interior design of the venue, part of which has since disappeared.
The Grande Arche at La Défense had been inaugurated on 14 July 1989 by François Mitterrand, as part of the celebrations marking the bicentenary of the French Revolution.
During one of the first weekends of September, a high-school friend who was finishing his architecture studies suggested that we visit the roof of the Grande Arche and the Libertés en exil exhibition.
Libertés en exil and discovering the roof
Some of the photographs are devoted to the exhibition and its scenography: large prints displayed on partition walls, visitors in the galleries and wider views of the exhibition spaces.
Libertés en exil exhibition - Roof of the Grande Arche at La Défense, September 1989 - Photo: © Sebastien Desnoulez
But the structure of the place interests me just as much, if not more: the coffered concrete ceiling, raw concrete walls and pillars, exposed technical equipment, glazed surfaces and vast volumes. I am fascinated by this space, so characteristic of late-1980s architecture.
I returned to the roof in 2000 for the opening of an exhibition of paintings by a friend, then again in 2016 and 2019 for photography exhibitions.
Each time, the experience begins with the ride in the panoramic lift, inside a transparent tube suspended in mid-air for nearly 80 metres, before being literally drawn into the roof of the Arche. Beyond it lies a vast, raw space that has always reminded me of a Star Wars set.
I was fortunate to visit each time when there were relatively few people around, allowing me to enjoy the space fully, including the terrace when it was accessible.
A circular lounge that has since disappeared
One of the most distinctive features was a circular reception lounge installed in the centre of a large hall.
Roof of the Grande Arche at La Défense, September 1989 - Photo: © Sebastien Desnoulez
Sofas surrounded a central element. The lounge itself was enclosed by perforated MDF panels, backed on the inside by glass panels.
Roof of the Grande Arche at La Défense, September 1989 - Photo: © Sebastien Desnoulez
This installation was later removed. The roof of the Grande Arche underwent many changes over the years.
A record of the original interiors
Nearly four decades later, these photographs provide a record of some of the original interiors of the Grande Arche roof.
The venue permanently closed to the public on 28 April 2023. Its operator, the City One group, attributed the closure to the very high operating costs resulting from the complexity of the building.
The few hairs visible in all the photographs, along the top edge of the horizontal images and along one side of the vertical ones, were already present on the negatives. Probably caught in the film channel of my Nikon F, I have left them untouched: in a way, they form the camera’s signature on this series.
About the author
Sebastien Desnoulez is a photographer, author and image maker based in Paris. His work spans architectural photography, landscape photography and travel photography, with particular attention to composition, lines, light, blur and visual accidents. Trained in photography in the mid-1980s, he covered Formula 1 and reported from around the world before developing a fine art photography practice built around the tension between graphic rigour and visual instability. He also shares his technical experience through practical articles for passionate photographers, drawing on a strong visual culture acquired in both film and digital photography.
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