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Tour EDF at La Défense

Paris, France
Completed 2001

Exhibition

Museum of Modern Art, New York, Tall Buildings, 2004
View an online version of the exhibition. Select building 21.

41-story office tower with underground parking
 

Click on image to enlarge

This 41-story office tower occupies a prominent site directly adjoining the "dalle" of La Défense — an elevated pedestrian plaza centered on the monumental axis that extends eastward from the nearby Grande Arche through the Arc de Triomphe to the courtyard of the Louvre in the heart of Paris.

The distinctive form of Tour EDF has its origin in the conviction that the privilege of building on this key site carries with it the corollary obligation to enhance the quality of public space and public life. Hence the tower is shaped in such a way that it does not stand aloof from the "dalle" but rather makes an engaging gesture toward the Parvis de La Défense. The carved prow of the building creates a memorable gathering place where passersby are invited to pause and enjoy the splendid view from a raised platform beneath a sheltering circular canopy-clad, like the tower itself, in stainless steel and glass.

Major Components

63,000m² offices; 1,500m² lobby; garden restaurant and amenities / support; parking for 80 cars on 4 levels below street; landscaped plaza

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners services

Architectural design; Interior Design of public spaces;  Construction Documents for exterior envelope and public interiors

Associate Architect

Saubot-Rouit & Associés, Paris

Structural

CETECS TTI, Paris   

Mechanical / Electrical

Trouvin Ingénierie, Paris

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