Paris defends itself against another skyscraper after 40 years

Paris - Opponents of tall buildings in Paris are preparing for a new battle, even though they lost the previous one over the Montparnasse Tower 40 years ago. This skyscraper, standing 210 meters tall in Paris, offers a magnificent view, but is not enjoying its 40th anniversary much. Some companies are leaving it because they refuse to expose their employees to asbestos, which the building has still not managed to get rid of. The city hall, however, is planning a new tower, this time called Tour Triangle. This was reported by the AFP agency.
"We are preparing an appeal and will file it on September 20," AFP was informed by Christine Nedelec of the SOS Paris association. Her organization was founded in 1973 as a reaction to the construction of the Montparnasse Tower. Management is now facing difficulties, as authorities have threatened to evacuate the building if the risk of negative asbestos exposure is not reduced as quickly as possible. There are 5,000 people working in the building, and the company Amundi has already relocated 300 of its employees. Asbestos has been gradually removed since 2005 at a cost of 250 million euros, but there is still a health risk. Opponents of Tour Triangle are using this to argue that the city hall is planning another "toxic gift".
Paris, with its architecture of wide boulevards and low buildings, is not a supporter of tall constructions. However, three years ago the city allowed residential buildings to be constructed on the outskirts up to 50 meters high and office buildings up to 180 meters. This July, in the interest of the "common good", it approved the construction of Tour Triangle in the exhibition area near the Versailles Gate. "We will prove that it is illegal. This is not about any common interest, as it is supposed to house offices of private companies," said Bertrand Sauzay, head of the association for the harmonious development of the exhibition area.
Paris Deputy Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who hopes to become mayor next year, is defending not only Tour Triangle but also other planned high-rise buildings. The fact that 62 percent of the metropolitan citizens are against high-rise construction in Paris, according to surveys, does not concern her. "We cannot transform Paris without conflicts," she said. The tower issue is being politicized with the upcoming local elections. Hidalgo's rival for the mayorship, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, opposes the tower and says that the Montparnasse Tower is "a monument that Parisians hate the most". All political parties are against the tower, except for the communists.
The proposal's authors are Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. They were not supported by their famous colleague Norman Foster, the designer of many high-rise buildings, including the famous "Gherkin" in London. "I don't know why Paris needs a skyscraper," he said.
A strong argument is also that if the construction of 180-meter buildings is allowed around the city, it will cut off its suburbs from Paris. "We want to turn Paris into a fortress surrounded by towers, while we need to connect it with the suburbs," said Maurice Culot, chairman of the architectural foundation and architect.