Front de Seine

The Front de Seine neighborhood on Paris' Left Bank was developed in the 1970s as a mix of high-rise residential and commercial buildings. It's quite striking from a distance, but I never really got a feel for how to move through the space when I lived in Paris. Apparently, the public plazas and walkways have been improved in a recent renovation.

The bridge in the background is a railroad bridge for the suburban commuter line C of the RER (Réseau Express Régional).

Of course, I didn't really have much reason to spend time in this part of town back in the early 1980s, aside from curiosity about what it all was. I was always fascinated by cities, but I wouldn't start formal studies in architecture and urban planning until the late '80s.

A view of Front de Seine through the structure of the Pont de Bir-Hakeim.

These two views are taken from the Bir-Hakeim bridge, upstream from the development. Most of the towers were built in the 1970s, but the development's final building, la Tour Cristal, was constructed in 1990.