Paris and skyscrapers go together now

by yuls.source | July 8, 2008 at 04:00 pm | 341 views | 9 comments

Bertrand Delanoe, the mayor of Paris, plans to lift the ban on skyscraper construction in the capital. Six 200-metre towers as well as an unknown number of 50-metre apartment blocks are to be constructed all around the city. The towers will accommodate shops, offices and public facilities. Some will reach the height a little under two-thirds the height of the Eiffel Tower. Construction is to be completed by 2014. The current city law postulates that all buildings constructed in Paris have to be less than 37-metres-high to preserve the historic, romantic look that is uniquely Parisian. On the other side of the story, there is a growing shortage of business and housing space in Paris, which Mr. Delanoe is using as his major argument to overturn the ban on high-rises. Two-thirds of Parisians, however, disapprove of his plan.

"Parisians are uncomfortable with the very idea of high-rise buildings: polls say so quite clearly. But the duty of public officials us to be guided by the general interest, rather than polls," Delanoe told the city council ahead of the vote.

Mr. Delanoe is giving Parisians a say early next year at a “citizens” conference where city-dwellers will decide what Parisian skyline should look like.

Mr Sarkozy last month launched his project for a Greater Paris, in which he has asked ten top architects to dream up the face of the capital over the next 20 years. He has previously criticised the mayor for turning Paris into a "museum".

Mr. Sarkozy is definitely a man with a vision but Paris is a world treasure, and it survived fine without skyscrapers all this time. With that much history in store, of course Paris became a sort of an under-the-skies “museum” but that is also what makes Paris so special.

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julianw

at 16:12 on July 8th, 2008

good stuff:

Apparently the Eiffel Tower was really unpopular among Parisians when it was built in the late nineteenth century. Over time though, its become an iconic symbol of the city. In the future, maybe skyscrapers will also fit into what we think of as essentially Parisian.

Beaulieu

at 05:15 on July 9th, 2008

good stuff:

yuls.source. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

You should see how many of the skyscrapers block wonderful views. The London Maritime Museum, in Greenwich, would normally have a wonderful view but right at the end, instead of a horizon, it has a load of grey misshaped buildings.

Great views will go. Architects may want a cityscape view but some pedestrians, don't get to see that. They just see a big fat grey door in the way, like in New York. New York is a city full of grey doors!

eightdaysaweek

at 21:59 on July 10th, 2008

This was taken June 24, 2008 from the top of the Arc de Triomph.

eightdaysaweek has contributed a photo to this story.

Chimera2212

at 06:51 on July 11th, 2008

As much as skyscrapers can be part of a great cityscape, they can also block views and take from what makes a city great (Vancouver's west end, for example. The mountain views seem to disappear more with each visit).

mathplourde

at 08:50 on July 11th, 2008

Picture taken from the Eiffel Tower's second floor. I must admit that one of the charms of Paris is the fact that there are a very limited number of skyscrappers...

mathplourde has contributed a photo to this story.

Mommy Moni

at 03:32 on July 12th, 2008

Beautiful and simple Paris skyline as seen from the height of Notre Dame, Dec. 2005.

Mommy Moni has contributed a photo to this story.

roseta28

at 20:37 on July 12th, 2008

A beautiful autumn 's sunset in Paris, viewed from La Tour Montparnasse,2007.

roseta28 has contributed a photo to this story.

Anton Schedlbauer

at 07:46 on August 21st, 2008

good stuff:

yuls.source, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Anton Schedlbauer

at 12:14 on August 21st, 2008

One should be very carefully with high-rise buildings in Paris, as it is, like all European cities, not designed for skyscrapers. This does not mean that skyscrapers should be an absolutely no-no in this cities, but one have to be very careful by choosing the construction sites. Skyscrapers are fine e. g. in La Défense. But take also look at the Tour Montparnasse, the probably the most misplaced skyscraper in the world.