Picture credit: Walkerssk on Pixabay. Picture caption: The Eiffel Tower and the skyscrapers of La Défense
Paris has a long history of relaxing the rules on towers and then clamping down on them again, so the new “third-tallest building” in Paris is likely to retain its position for some time. The Tour Triangle topped out earlier this year at 180 metres and its controversial trapezoidal design means it resembles a thin tower from central Paris, and a large triangle from the east and west.
Its shape is designed to minimise the shadow cast on nearby buildings, while also maximising viewing angles for those inside the building.
In terms of height, the Tour Triangle is only surpassed by the Tour Montparnasse (210m) and the Eiffel Tower (330m), and is tied with the Tour Duo 1, also 180m tall. Everything else within the city limits is smaller and likely to stay that way as the skyscraper ban was reinstated in 2023 by mayor Anne Hidalgo.
You can see from the picture above, however, that skyscrapers have been built outside the city limits, particularly in the La Défense district of Paris. These taller towers are contained in a way they have not been in London, leaving the centre of Paris largely unencumbered by view-blocking monstrosities.
It’s this that makes the Herzog & de Meuron designed Tour Triangle controversial. The triangle tower is thought to be partly responsible for the renewed skyscraper ban. Certain parts of Paris imposed a height limit of 37m for new buildings back in 1977, soon after the completion of the Montparnasse tower, which many see as an eyesore.
This limit remained in place until 2010, when it was overturned by the then mayor Bertrand Delanoë. The limit was relaxed to 180m for offices and 50m for housing. However, it was soon after construction began on the Tour Triangle in 2022 that the skyscraper ban was put in place once again.
This newer ban has been introduced as part of the mayor’s plan to reduce carbon emissions, known as the Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan. The plan aims to help the capital city adapt to cope with heatwaves and flooding by protecting green spaces, encouraging the creation of new gardens and increasing biodiversity. Other aims include more eco-friendly construction, more social housing – including converting office space – and more facilities near people’s homes, aka “the 15-minute district”.
These are positive goals, especially with Europe now facing its third heatwave since spring.
While one might question the wisdom of building the Tour Triangle in a city which already has far too much vacant office space, it may well be worth a visit once it opens, with a panoramic belvedere at the summit which will be open to all, plus offices, shops, restaurants and a hotel and conference centre beneath.
The benefit of the skyscraper ban is that the uninterrupted view from the top of the Triangle is likely to be spectacular.
It’s interesting that Paris has allowed this build, as the city has had a very measured approach to maintaining the historic part of the city. More so than in London, where we are throwing up high rise buildings with no sign of stopping. You can see from pictures of Paris what a difference this makes to the look and feel of the place.
The question is, does the Tour Triangle give a welcome injection of modernity, or does it damage the work Paris has done to stay low-rise? What do you think?
Meanwhile, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
