Paris La Défense retained in March 2026 the consortium led by RSHP (formerly Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) for the urban design and public spaces of the Rives Défense project, eight hectares located on the historical axis, facing the Seine River and Paris, one of the most valuable land opportunities of the decade. Back to the middle of nowhere?
The ambition for Rives Défense, project owner, through a “flash workshop” within the “Territory Workshop” framework, would be to pursue the fantasy of a City-on-the-Seine, previously promoted by Sir Norman Foster with twin towers on the site that did not materialize. However, it was formerly the Dubai-on-Seine of Russian developer Emin Iskendirov, who had promoted the Hermitage project designed by Jacques Ferrier: two vegetated towers connected by a walkway.
In March 2026, as Emin Iskendirov saw his Foster towers permit invalidated, the continuation with RSHP was announced. “Rives Défense must rediscover its original connection with the Seine: the river is no longer a border, it becomes the lively foundation of the neighborhood, capable of giving it a strong identity and openness to the metropolis,” said Stephen Barrett, director of RSHP.
This project, with towers reaching 309m, aims to enhance the neighborhood’s diversity by developing residential offerings, renewing office spaces, and capitalizing on existing buildings.
The vision includes creating new topography to reconnect the neighborhood to the Seine and to the nearby city while optimizing commercial and service offerings. The focus is on transforming the neighborhood into a livelier avenue of residential buildings and shops, combining low and high-rise buildings with green spaces.
The idea is to move away from the traditional office-dominated landscape to a more human-scale development that respects current needs and aspirations. This aims to revitalize La Défense as a vibrant mix of residential and commercial spaces, combining high-rise towers with generous green areas and intimate urban fabric.
In conclusion, the article questions the future of La Défense and whether radical solutions like those proposed by RSHP may offer a true avenue for human-scale development, rather than the expected path of turning La Défense into a City-on-the-Seine.
By Christophe Leray.
