CNIT building in the La Défense business district of Paris, France.
This image shows the CNIT building in the La Défense business district of Paris, France. The Center of New Industries and Technologies (French: Centre des nouvelles industries et technologies, better known as the CNIT), was one of the first buildings built in La Défense. It functions as convention centre, though it also houses shops and offices. History: The initial of the building took place between 1956 and 1958. Its architects were Robert Edouard Camelot, Jean de Mailly, Bernard Zehrfuss accompanied by the engineer Jean Prouvé for the exterior. The structural engineer for the concrete shell was Nicolas Esquillan. At the time of its construction, the La Defense business district did not exist and the site for the building was at the roundabout of La Defense where the old Zodiac Aerospace factory was situated. The site was named for a statue called "La Defense De Paris" by the sculptor Louis-Ernest Barrias which was situated on a natural hill between the towns of Puteaux and Courbevoie. This statue, originally erected in 1883, has now been moved to the west of the La Defense plaza. Originally conceived as an exhibition centre for the French machine tools industry, the building was inaugurated by General, and soon to be President, Charles de Gaulle on 12 September 1958. Construction of the La Defense plaza: In 1978 a great plaza was constructed next to the site of the CNIT building. The newly raised pedestrian precinct covered the railway station, all of the tracks and a good third of the height of the CNIT building. The entrance ways, characterised by rectangular blocks, were removed. The La Defense plaza now covers a large area to the south of this building and is three stories above ground level. Architecture & Engineering: This building is notable for being the largest unsupported concrete span enclosed space in the world. Its triangular structure is supported on three points that are two hundred and eighteen meters (715') apart.
Size: 5184px × 3456px
Location: La Défense, Courbevoie, Paris, France
Photo credit: © Stuart Robertson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: blue, building, business, center, centre, cnit, color, colour, convention, des, district, famous, france, française, french, high-rise, horizontal, image, industries, la, landscape, nouvelles, outdoors, paris, people, place, republic, sky, technologies, éfense, épublique
