The Champs Élysées, La Défense and the Arc de Triomphe are all part of the Axe historique (or the historical axis). La Defense (the arch that appears at the end of the Champs Elysées in the photo above), is regarded as the 20th century version of the Arc de Triomphe. Instead of celebrating military victories, it is instead dedicated to humanity and humanitarian ideals.
La Defense was part of Francois Mitterand's, the French President's, 'Great Works', along with the construction of the Louvre Pyramid, to represent the modern day French state. These works were intended to coincide with the 1989 celebrations for the bicentenary of the French Revolution. Like the Eiffel Tower at the time of its construction, La Defense was a controversial architectural design, that was not fully supported.