Tour Triangle: The Bone of Contention

It is a fact that Parisians loathe every modern construction that threatens the architectural harmony, and many of them reject any building exceeding a height of 37 meters in the city.

It is a fact that Parisians loathe every modern construction that threatens the architectural harmony, and many of them reject any building exceeding a height of 37 meters in the city. Therefore, the ambitious plan to build a skyscraper of 180 meters, with 42 storeys, in the shape of a pyramid in the heart of the Porte de Versailles causes violent confrontation.

Critics anticipate that the work of Herzog and De Meuron, even if implemented (2018) will have the fate of the hated Montparnasse Tower, the first and last ever building in Paris (1973) which is ranked second in the most ugly buildings of the world and it is threatened even today, 41 years later, with ... demolition.

However, the "Triangular Tower" cannot be compared with anything else, say its supporters. It will be an emblematic building that will attract global attention, raising the prestige of the French capital.

The project is another bet of the European Group real estate property Unibail-Rodamco, which specializes in malls, showrooms and office buildings (with 34 malls in France and 83 worldwide). The group has decided to invest 520 million euros in this modern building of the famous Swiss architects who have also designed the Tate Modern in London and the Olympic Stadium in Beijing. 83,000 square meters will be used for accommodating offices, conference centers, shops, restaurants, a nursery and a medical center. The ground floor will provide a huge patio and 8,000 square meters will be open to the public, while in its garage there will be 1,000 seats only for bicycles.