Tour Maine-Montparnasse (Maine-Montparnasse Tower), also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a 210-metre (689 ft) office skyscraper located in the Montparnasse area of Paris, France. Constructed from 1969 to 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, when it was surpassed by the 231 m (758 ft) Tour First. As of February 2015, it is the 17th tallest building in the European Union. The tower was designed by architects Eugène Beaudouin, Urbain Cassan and Louis Hoym de Marien and built by Campenon Bernard.[5]
Location
The logo of Tour Montparnasse
Built on top of the Montparnasse – Bienvenüe Paris Métro station, the 59 floors of the tower are mainly occupied by offices. The 56th floor, with a restaurant called le Ciel de Paris,[6] and the terrace on the top floor, are open to the public for viewing the city. The view covers a radius of 40 km (25 mi); aircraft can be seen taking off from Orly Airport. The guard rail, to which various antennae are attached, can be pneumatically lowered.
Criticism
The tower's simple architecture, large proportions and monolithic appearance have been often criticized for being out of place in Paris's urban landscape.[7] As a result, two years after its completion the construction of buildings over seven stories high in the city center was banned.[8]
The design of the tower predates architectural trends of more modern skyscrapers today that are often designed to provide a window for every office. Only the offices around the perimeter of each floor of Tour Montparnasse have windows.
It is said that the view from the top is the most beautiful in Paris, because it is the only place from which the tower cannot be seen.[9]
A 2008 poll of editors on Virtualtourist voted the building the second-ugliest building in the world, behind Boston City Hall in the United States.[10]
Climbing the tower
In 1995, French urban climber, Alain "Spiderman" Robert, using only his bare hands and feet and with no safety devices of any kind, scaled the building's exterior glass and steel wall to the top, almost falling in the process.
Asbestos contamination
In 2005, studies showed that the tower contained asbestos material. When inhaled, for instance during repairs, asbestos is a carcinogen. As with the Jussieu Campus, the problem of removing the asbestos material from a large building used by thousands of people is acute. Projected completion times for removal are three years if the building is emptied for the duration of the work and ten years if the building is not emptied. The removal of asbestos began in July 2007.
Tenants
Previously Tour Maine-Montparnasse housed the executive management of Accor.[11]
Gallery
| Tour Montparnasse's location in Paris |
| Office Lobby of Tour Montparnasse |
| Shopping Arcade of Tour Montparnasse |
| Montparnasse from Rue de Rennes |
| Tower seen from Jardins du Luxembourg |
| Night view towards Eiffel Tower |
|
View over Paris, at dusk, from the top platform of Tour Montparnasse
See also
References
External links
