First rendering of this new tower to be built in Paris. Construction is supposed to start next year.

http://www.businessimmo.info/_img_upload/wbg_lettre/_users_utilisateur_desktop_une145.jpg

Generali kicks off the plan to renovate La Défense promoted by the EPAD. The insurer has just announced the launch of a new tower with 90,000 m² of office space. The project was designed by architects Valode et Pistre, chosen based on an international competition, and will be realized by Vinci Immobilier. The new tower will be built on the foundation of the Iris building, a 12,000 m² unit that will be destroyed. The investment will be approximately €500 M.
"The lean silhouette of the Generali Tower will be a new feature in the skyline of La Défense. Its shape and location will contribute to the urban requalification of the pedestrian pavement and the circular boulevard that the EPAD wanted," explains Generali, which fully intends to compete for the Signal tour project launched by Bernard Bled.
The investor, which has made the development one of the strategic axes of its investment policy, places its real estate project under the banner of sustainable development. "The innovative design of the structure and shell of the building, and the choice of construction equipment will combine the comfort of its users with a systematic effort to reduce energy consumption. The tower will also integrate renewable energy sources," describes Generali.
The Generali tower project is part of an endeavor to revamp the La Défense business area. Several towers are currently being built or restructured. Colony and Sitq have begun work on the tower T1, a 70,000 m² building. La Société Générale has placed the cornerstone of its Tour Granite, a 68,000 m² building that the company will occupy. Axa Reim has entrusted Cogedim with the restructuration of its tower - rechristened CB 31 - which will provide 87,000 m² of office space. And Unibail plans to launch 150,000 m² next to the CNIT. The EPAD should be able to meet its goal of developing 300,000 m² of office space and renovating another 150,000 m² by 2013.

Source : http://www.businessimmo.info/pages/lettre/fiche.php?lang=en&s_code=061018N145_en

different but nice

Posted by Brisavoine on the "Paris - Full summary of projects" thread:
The 280 m (919 ft) Generali tower is placed at its exact location and height. I also placed the "tour signal" ("iconic tower"). It's the boxy shape that dominates the skyline (it's boxy only because we don't know its design yet). The "tour signal" is placed at its exact location, with a height of 300 m (984 ft), although it could be taller in reality, but I chose this height just to see how it would look if there's only a 20 m (65 ft) difference between the "tour signal" and the Generali tower.

Seen from Notre Dame:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/oc/thumb/e/e7/Generali2.jpg/950px-Generali2.jpg

Seen from the Eiffel Tower:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/oc/thumb/0/08/Generali3.jpg/950px-Generali3.jpg

Seen from Chinatown:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/oc/a/a2/Generali4.jpg

I must say, I really like it! It's a very interesting yet challenging design which seems to fit well with the rest of the towers in La Défense, despite it's unfamiliar design. Can't wait to follow the progress of this new Paris scraper, should be great!

We can notice that with three 200m+ towers (CB31=225m; Generali=240/280m and the Tour Signal which will be around 300m), LD's skyline becomes really impressive!

And there are a bit more than those 3 towers which are supposed to go up before 2013! :)

nice top

This will change the complete skyline of la Defence. At this moment like la Defence not that much (boxy, no real gigants etc.) But in the render it's a real worldclass skyline, very beautyful! Go Paris.

Another rendering in B/w :

http://www.ladefense.fr/images/Tour%20M%20site%20internet.jpg

I like LD skyline, but I definitely don't like this tower.

hm, I don't care much for the design - it's very ... peculiar.
the height is pretty impressive though. la defense can easily become the best skyline in europe by adding just two or three new pinnacles.

it is very unusual, but I think very intersting. Hopefuly it will look beautiful when it is finished. Go Paris!

hm, I don't care much for the design - it's very ... peculiar.
the height is pretty impressive though. la defense can easily become the best skyline in europe by adding just two or three new pinnacles.

Two will be added for sure (This tower and the 300m+ Tour Signal), but we all believe there will be more than that... :)

Two will be added for sure (This tower and the 300m+ Tour Signal), but we all believe there will be more than that... :)Actually, you can count three with the renovated AXA. ;)

that tower would forever be impressive

First rendering of this new tower to be built in Paris. Construction is supposed to start next year.

http://www.businessimmo.info/_img_upload/wbg_lettre/_users_utilisateur_desktop_une145.jpg


Looks like it belongs in downtown Krypton :)

Looks like it belongs in downtown Krypton :)

thats what i think in the beginning ;)

Very nice

So unusual

up,nice design

The top looks like a church steeple. Anyways, I like the tower. Its interesting. What kidn of name is Generali though>?

Generali is an Italian Insurance Company.

this is one of the weirdest projects Ive seen. interesting design, but I don't like the "spire" at all.

The complete name is Assicurazioni Generali, it's a major insurance company.

It is a very brave design and I like it. This will give great more personality to La Defense

Congratulation Paris! :)

Nice one! One more kick in the a... of Frankfurt! :(

Finally, the tower will be 308m high!

First Supertall in LD! :)

Montparnasse Tower will clearly lose its France's tallest building claim.
210m ----> 308m :eek:

This is great news, the taller the more I like this tower.
It will even overshadow the new Axa, by over 80m!
And now the focus shifts to the Tour Signal, if they really want to make it a symbol, that totem has got to demarcate itself from the Generalli tower, or the effect will be ruined, especially since it will most likely be located right behind the Generalli, on the historic axis perspective.

With about 300 meters of height, the tower will truely dominate La Défense (in awaiting the famous "Tour Signal").

So after all, this rendering wasn't as far from the truth...

http://mapage.noos.fr/marla13/generali.jpg

Finally, the tower will be 308m high!

First Supertall in LD! :)Bnmaddict, I don't know if you're allowed to, but you should change the title of this thread. ;-)

A diagram of Paris' highest towers.

http://mapage.noos.fr/marla13/proposals_diagram.jpg

Generally, It doesnt looks very good.

Generally, It doesnt looks very good.Currently, we only have a stamp as a rendering. Let's wait to have deeper news about it before having a real advice about it.

My personal opinion is that it could either be great or terrible. It depends on many things we don't know yet (what exactly will be the cladding, how slender the tower will really be, what will be the details of its shape, etc...).

This project has been designed by Valode & Pistre, those who designed the T1 tower currently under construction in La Défense. That doesn't mean much outside the fact V&P has already proven it could design buildings of quality.

Generally, It doesnt looks very good.

^^ Good pun :lol:

Very good news. Now we just have to wait for better renders.


But with the Generali tower here, I think the Tour signal would have been better located on the other side of the arch, just like with the first blue renders they showed for the 2015 project.

Right now, even at 400m it wouldn't look as good behind the generali tower as if it was situated somewhere else


http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/6674/diapositive43hu.jpg

Yeah it's weird..the left part of la Défense will not have any tall building. There is got to be a better balance in heights imo.

BEFORE / AFTER

I've taken this picture from the 31nd flor of the Ariane tower.

http://stickyesman.free.fr/ladefensephotos/Ariane31_2006102301.jpg

It's about 300m tower here:
http://stickyesman.free.fr/ladefensephotos/Ariane31_2006102302montageGenerali.jpg

why don't generali buid another building like this one in Italy? (I want it in Milano)

>(

I like it very much

^^ Hehe! Generali is a company headquartered in Trieste, isn't it? ;)

Very nice news, Europe will finally build supertall soon!

Interesting!

I just love Paris

http://people.csail.mit.edu/manoli/gallery/paris/defense.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fr/thumb/a/a3/Defense10.jpg/800px-Defense10.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Esplanade-de-la-defense.jpg/800px-Esplanade-de-la-defense.jpg

yeah, i don't like the spire either..... too much of a "wanna-be-different" kind of design.....

^^ Hehe! Generali is a company headquartered in Trieste, isn't it? ;)

not really a skyscraper

I really dont like this. The top is shit and the colour (yes I know you only have one render) just beggars belief. Not my cup of tea at all!

I really dont like this. The top is shit and the colour (yes I know you only have one render) just beggars belief. Not my cup of tea at all!


You're jealous

Wow!!!! These projects will change Paris's skyline dramatically.

You're jealous

I genuinely hate it. I would hate it if it was in Birmingham or London. Though the height is still impressive.

What a fantastic top that building has. I hope they bulid it. What is that high black box-building in those pictures? The highest one. When I visited Paris, I'm not sure if i saw (/remember) that. I was in Paris about 4 years ago.

I dont like it, but thats probably just due to the quality of the rendering. Liking the top.

What is that high black box-building in those pictures? The highest one. When I visited Paris, I'm not sure if i saw (/remember) that.
Read the explanations on the general Paris thread (Full Summary of Projects). It's the so-called "tour signal" ("iconic tower"), which will be between 300 m (1,000 ft) and 400 m (1,300 ft) high. It's meant to become the new symbol of La Défense. Its design is unknow yet, which is why it was shown as a black box building on the renders. There's currently an international architect contest going on and the winning design will be selected on November 24.

with so many famous architects participating the tour signal is going to be very exciting. probably more exciting than tour generali, which is being marketed as the new icon of LD.

It is high but not very interesting design...
:sly:

Valode & Pistre has now unveiled the tower on their official website :
http://www.valode-et-pistre.com/

Here is the description. The rendering is the same as the first smaller versions, except that it is of a better quality:

http://static.flickr.com/106/287829494_da6b365957_o.jpg


And now, here is the tower as seen by another forumer known as YKLD. He made this image from the informations he got from the only official rendering of the tower which is currently available.

http://perso.numericable.fr/ydelavau/ykld/signal_jour.jpg

http://perso.numericable.fr/ydelavau/ykld/signal_a.jpg
http://perso.numericable.fr/ydelavau/ykld/signal_b.jpg

C'est très magnifique que Paris construis plus et plus gratte-ciel.

It's wonderful, Paris is building more skyscrapers, that's good new for Paris.
The City of Lights.

Perhaps it´s too strange too me, it remembers me Gazprom´s headquarters in Moscow. Otherwise it will be really impressive if it is built.

Is the spire occupied or decorative? Is this the showpiece of LA Defense, or is it the Tour Signal? Whatever it is, unless the spire is being utilized somehow, it would seem like a reduant piece of scuptural hyperbole. I'm sorry, but the awkward looking cone is the weakest part of visual composition.

I agree with aquablue, I think the spire it too much

PARIS es para mi una de las ciudades mas hermosas del mundo .. ..

From Le Parisien, 8 November 2006.



Tour Generali, designed by architects Valode and Pistre and built by the group Vinci Immobilier, should be inaugurated by 2011 and host 6 thousand workers. The building will generate power thanks to wind turbines and solar panels.

http://static.flickr.com/110/292119806_4766e4d6cc_o.jpg

Windows able to generate power, wind turbines built on buildings roof, skyscrapers covered of solar panels... Urbanists crazyness or technologies of tomorrow ? The Best architects worldwide, coming from Dubai, London, Shanghai or Vancouver are meeting today and tomorrow in La Défense for the Urbanism World Days in order to imagine cities of the future and designed them so that they would be environment and energy friendly. Debates will focus on the notion of sustainable development in business districts.

While the French government has just announced the operation starting a new age in La Défense, which plans the creation of extra 450,000 m² and the demolition/rebuilding of other 325,000 m² of older towers, the first Environmentalist skyscrapers will soon appear on La Défense esplanade. One of the first building of that new generation will be inaugurated in 2011. Built by Vinci, the Tour Generali will host 6,000 workers on 50 floors. That glass giant will be 300-meter tall, as opposed to 200 meters on average for current buildings.

http://static.flickr.com/102/292119793_9494b017ec_o.jpg

Lamps equipped with presence detectors and Solar-celle windows

French architects of the project, Valode and Pistre, have multiplied innovations in order to make of their tower a model in power consumption. "We will be able to collect natural night cool air and to use it back during daytime to refress offices" specifies Denis Valode. "Lights will be turned on and off automatically thanks to presence detectors". Moreover, the glass spire of the skyscraper will be filled of wind turbines and covered with solar cells which will generate the power and will heat the water necessary for the building. Every floors should have their gardens in spiral. Rainwater should be recycled and used in order to water interior greeneries. "Compared with today's buildings, this tower will prevent 3,500 tons of CO2 to be rejected in the athmosphere", claims the architect.

http://static.flickr.com/122/292119831_4be6cc92ff_o.jpg http://static.flickr.com/103/292119770_7ea077f6c1_o.jpg

Good to see we are designing more green towers! The floor to ceiling heights must be enormous!

render from Metropolitan :

http://grandparis.free.fr/axageneraligranite4.jpg

gorgeous!

Can some admin change the title of this thread? The information is wrong. It has now been confirmed several times that this tower will be approximately 300 meters high, most likely 308 meters, but I think it's better to say "approx. 300m".

Alright I changed it :).

I didn't like it at first, but finally on the last renderings it seems pretty cool.

Hello everybody I'm new here :) (and from Paris)

And I really don't like the top of this tower !! :ohno:

Something is wrong with it in the proportions I think, either the spire too small or the "remaining parts" of the tower wall too big, or the tower walls too parallel for this thing on the top, or something else, anyway I really don't like it ! :)

render from Metropolitan :

http://grandparis.free.fr/axageneraligranite4.jpg


Awesome render but where's T1 ?

nice!

Awesome render but where's T1 ?
Same render, this time with T1 and the Méridien hotel. Don't forget that the so-called "tour signal" is not shown.

http://grandparis.free.fr/axageneraligranite7.jpg

great picture!

Could someone edit the pic above so as to show where the Tour Signal will stand? A mere boxy vertical rectangle will do.

^^ Hum. Nothing against your render. But wouldn't a 300m-tower appear much more in the skyline?

It is only 308m to the top of the big circular spire-thing, so it is about accurate. It is a bit hard to see on there as it blends in with the sky.

oh, okay then,... :)

I love La Defense, and this building will make it even better.

I don't like the top of this tower I'm afraid. Doesn't fit to the other skyscrapers of La Defense.

horrible!!!

:( really sorry for Paris, what a terrible design

New render of the Generali Tower, published this week by L'Express magazine.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9904/generalimv6.jpg

Warf, un Manhattan français :ohno: How ridiculous

Manhattan français OMG

L'Express magazine SHAME on you!

Well, the Germans often call Frankfurt the "Manhattan on the Main", or "Mainhattan", so I think this reference to Manhattan is quite common in Europe...

Yes, because in european stereotypes, skyscrapers = Manhatan

Well, the Germans often call Frankfurt the "Manhattan on the Main", or "Mainhattan", so I think this reference to Manhattan is quite common in Europe...

That was also based on its prominence in finance, not just its skyscrapers.

I dont think Paris should be called it though. Hell no. I dont like the tower still - its the boxiness as it rises and then the top just ruins it further still.

la defense can easily become the best skyline in europe by adding just two or three new pinnacles. Probaby would be true, if these 2-3 pinnacles were there right now. When they get built this will not be enough.(IMHO)
But la Defence with new pinnacles will be among the first ones for sure.

Quel succès cette tour ! :lol:

Well, the Germans often call Frankfurt the "Manhattan on the Main", or "Mainhattan", so I think this reference to Manhattan is quite common in Europe...

Except that Frankfurt has some real tall skyscrapers.

Except that Frankfurt has some real tall skyscrapers.
Uh, the Generali Tower will be far taller than any skyscraper in Frankfurt...

yeah will, isn't now though ;)

and including the spire commerzbank is only a few metres short of the generali tower ;)


anyway, I wonder why no one came up to call la defense the french manhattan before this newspaper article ...

ugly for me..Especially ,I don't like colours on the elevation..The top of this tower looks like the roof of villain's house in any fable.Am i alone in this opinion?

Commerzbank Tower is 300.1 metres to the top of the signal light.

The tallest building in Frankfurt is the Europaturm which is 337.5 metres tall.

Commerzbank Tower is 300.1 metres to the top of the signal light.

The tallest building in Frankfurt is the Europaturm which is 337.5 metres tall.
Commerzbank Tower is 258.7 meters to the tip of its spire. It reaches 300.1 meters with an antenna, but antennas are usually not counted. From what we know so far, Generali Tower will reach 308 meters to the tip of its spire (not counting antenna). That's 50 meters higher than the Commerzbank Tower.

The Europaturm is a television mast, it is not a skyscraper. It's not even the tallest mast in Germany, the tallest mast being the Berliner Fernsehturm in Berlin which reaches 368 meters.

actually the 258.7 m is not the height of the spire, but the structure (there are mechanical floors inside).

but this isn't a paris vs frankfurt competition. right now frankfurt has taller skyscraper, and it looks like paris will get a taller one. good for paris :cheers:

This tower is awesome! A great addition to La Defense. Paris dares to build controversial structures and I love this city for that. :)

This tower is awesome! A great addition to La Defense. Paris dares to build controversial structures and I love this city for that. :)It's funny you say so knowing that a large number of French forumers complain everyday about Paris being the realm of conservatism. :nuts:

Anyway, I think there's a bit of truth in both sides. Indeed, there is in general a conservative trend in the city proper of Paris, as illustrates for instance the 37 m height limit or the business district of Paris Rive Gauche (near the new Bibliothèque) but there's still always daring projects which emerge here or there.

I guess the best example for this is the brand new Palace Hotel, the Fouquet's, which is located on the Champs-Elysées. It has been inaugurated at the beginning of the month. Anyway, the hotel consists of several former Haussmanian buildings, and in order to connect them, the architect has copied a Haussmanian façade with a little tweek :


http://grandparis.free.fr/diagramme-fouquets.jpg

http://dev2.batiactu.com/cap_diapo/images/utils_images/20061107_150352_4fou.jpg

http://dev2.batiactu.com/cap_diapo/images/utils_images/20061107_150842_10fou.jpg

http://irgendwo.free.fr/fouquets/4.jpg

http://irgendwo.free.fr/citroen/5.jpg

^^ Fantastic building this Palace Hotel! :okay:

I agree with your post - Paris is conservative, but the city surprises the world from time to time with something extraordinary. Good exaple was The Eiffel Tower, once heavily criticized and now the most famous landmark of France and one of the best known structures in the world. Then it was Tour Montparnasse, at that time the highest office tower in Europe. It was Paris that started to build skyscrapers in Europe.
I find the Generali Tower and the idea of rebuilding La Defense a continuation of Paris' revolutionary ideas about architecture.

*vomit*

HHAHA looks like paris is out of the "best skyline in europe" race. there is no way that eyesore can compete with LBT or federation tower.

*vomit*

I agree it certainly isn't brilliant but c'mon, it isn't THAT horrible!

Like I have said before, at least it's different. And if bitch Ruth Kelly gets her evil, wicked way, there won't be much else than LBT on the London skyline to compete for the title!

This project was not expected to compete with any other tower anyway. This project is actually a surprise (well it's just a mere 300-meter tower after all). Well it's quite disappointing but what matters is Tour Signal whose design will be known either tomorrow or this Monday. We do expect much more from this one.

I am looking forward to seeing the Tour Signal

The Tour Signal will not be taller than 300m...

How do you know that?

HHAHA looks like paris is out of the "best skyline in europe" race. there is no way that eyesore can compete with LBT or federation tower.
Could you limit your comments to UK forums or at least shut up? I'm starting to get sick of the Brits bringing their London bullshit everywhere. :puke:

This thread is about Generali Tower, not LBT. Just stick that LBT tower up ya ass and have fun! :cheers:

This thread is about Generali Tower, not LBT. Just stick that LBT tower up ya ass! :cheers:

Ouch

Could you limit your comments to UK forums or at least shut up? I'm starting to get sick of the Brits bringing their London bullshit everywhere. :puke:

This thread is about Generali Tower, not LBT. Just stick that LBT tower up ya ass and have fun! :cheers:


OK, I know his comments were uncalled for, but thanks for managing to insult all of us for his misgivings...

@All

Tell us what you think about the Generali Tower in La Defense!
Here's the link to the poll
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=403762

Since the exact height is known I changed the thread's title.

The exact dimensions of the Generali Tower were disclosed yesterday in a 4 pages document released by Expertise Pierre, which I will translate later when I have time.

The Generali Tower will be 318 meters (1,043 ft) high at the top of its spire (300 meters above the La Défense concrete slab, which is itself 18 meters above street level). On the graphic below, you can see the exact dimensions of the tower. Measurements in black are from the concrete slab. You have to add 18 meters to each of them to find height from street level. In La Défense, heights are normally measured from street level (contrary to this graph). Thus when we say that the GAN Tower is 179 meters high, it means 179 meters from street level (161 meters from the concrete slab).

One side of the Generali Tower will be fully visible from street level (from the Boulevard Circulaire, where you'll be able to see the full 318 meters), the other three sides of the tower will emerge from the concrete slab 18 meters above ground. The main entrance of the tower will be on the concrete slab, 18 meters above ground.

At 318 meters, the Generali Tower looks set to become Western Europe's tallest skyscraper, 8 meters above the London Bridge Tower which is proposed in London. The now famous tour signal, aka tour Phare, which is also built above a concrete slab, could be taller than Generali, but we don't know yet, because the exact dimensions of the tour Phare have not been disclosed.

Below the first graph I put a little rendering showing the Generali Tower at exact dimension compared to Western Europe tallest skyscrapers (LBT and Bishopgate proposed in London, and Commerzbank and Messeturm already built in Frankfurt).

http://grrroux.free.fr/divers/generali.gif

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7086/rankingpq0.png

That's very impressive!

According to the original plan it says that the spire (flèche) will reach 300 meters and the roof 251.30 m, isn't it? Thus, were did you find these "extra" 18 meters? This is anyway a great add to what I believe to be the best European skyline!

:cheers:

According to the original plan it says that the spire (flèche) will reach 300 meters and the roof 251.30 m, isn't it? Thus, were did you find these "extra" 18 meters?
Re-read my post. You jumped straight to the graph without reading what I wrote apparently.

According to the original plan it says that the spire (flèche) will reach 300 meters and the roof 251.30 m, isn't it? Thus, were did you find these "extra" 18 meters? This is anyway a great add to what I believe to be the best European skyline!

:cheers:The main entrance isn't at ground level, it is at a higher floor (apparently the 6th floor) and is connected by a bridge to the elevated esplanade (La Défense main avenue), which is itself 18 meters above ground level. However, Generali isn't built on the esplanade !

Okay, here's a little sketch probably explaining this better:

http://grandparis.free.fr/esplanade_sketch.jpg

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7086/rankingpq0.png

funny, all these proposals don't look much taller than the already existing towers in frankfurt

Are European World/global cities respectful with each other? :)
There's no height race in Europe, well at least in the U.E.

Metropolitan, nice little sketch, but just a quick note on vocabulary. The A14 is not a highway, it is a motorway (UK)/freeway (US). In fact I believe it's a 6-lane freeway if my memory serves me right.

Metropolitan, nice little sketch, but just a quick note on vocabulary. The A14 is not a highway, it is a motorway (UK)/freeway (US). In fact I believe it's a 6-lane freeway if my memory serves me right.Thanks you're right, this has been corrected. :)

funny, all these proposals don't look much taller than the already existing towers in frankfurt

Well Commerzbank is 300.1 metres tall when you measure it to the top of the signal light.

Great the height has been released but I still hate the design.

Re-read my post. You jumped straight to the graph without reading what I wrote apparently.

The main entrance isn't at ground level, it is at a higher floor (apparently the 6th floor) and is connected by a bridge to the elevated esplanade (La Défense main avenue), which is itself 18 meters above ground level. However, Generali isn't built on the esplanade !

Okay, here's a little sketch probably explaining this better:

http://grandparis.free.fr/esplanade_sketch.jpg


Thank you to both of you for your clear explanations! :)

you're gonna love this:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407549&page=16

priceless ;)

you're gonna love this:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407549&page=16

priceless ;)

I like a lot JGG who believes that the "rez de dalle" is the ground level :lol: He spoke about La defense but we easily can see that he never went to Paris/LD in his entire life...

Nice to see Paris is getting some impressive towers now. Interesting design but I think it could date.

you're gonna love this:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407549&page=16

priceless ;)
To JGG, who wrote rather incendiary comments on the UK forum (link above): "Rez-de-dalle" means "slab level". In French, "ground level" is called "rez-de-chaussée". Take some French lessons before denigrating.

Also, stop insinuating that somehow this is "Brisavoine" way of measuring things. Towers in La Défense have always been measured from the ground below the concrete slab, ever since the first tower appeared in the 1960s. And I wasn't even born then! As for the graphs, none of them was made by me, they were made by forumers on the French forum who know the technical details of La Défense way better than I do. So please stop slandering my name or I'll have to report this to an admin.

I see guys on the UK forum pretend that height doesn't matter, yet they argue in a petty way about Generali's height (even calling into question the integrity of Metropolitan and I !), so I guess height matters to them after all. LOL. The rest, as people say, is just history.

I agree with you but it remains one issue .

Why Generali , Epad and the Architects are saying that the Tower is 300m? I'm dubitative about this.

I see guys on the UK forum pretend that height doesn't matter, yet they argue in a petty way about Generali's height (even calling into question the integrity of Metropolitan and I !), so I guess height matters to them after all. LOL. The rest, as people say, is just history.

Apparently, our "hideous" new towers in La Defense have strangely hit a nerve of some english forumers....
They must feel very insecure to spend so much time denigrating towers which are so obviously ugly according to them.

I agree with you but it remains one issue .

Why Generali , Epad and the Architects are saying that the Tower is 300m? I'm dubitative about this.
Why? Because they don't want to scare people. Because height is a taboo subject in France. Look how EPAD (La Défense Authority) sometimes doesn't even mention heights when making annoucements about the new towers. Also, we were told that "some people in the higher spheres" didn't want these new towers to be higher than 300 meters. So it sounds to me like EPAD is being clever and using tricks to pretend they respect this political order. I wouldn't be surprised. Bernard Bled, the director of EPAD, is a very clever guy who has already survived the traps of politics when he was in Chirac's team at Paris City Hall. I remember a public chat with Bernard Bled last June, one guy asked him: "How did you survive among all these sharks?" Bled replied something like: "I don't know if they are sharks, but you have to use a bit of diplomacy".

I believe that Generali, for the moment, are trying not to steal the spotlight from the Phare, and once they build it, then they will steal their thunder by announcing it as the tallest in France when they will count the height from the ground.
Something like a modern version of the Chrysler/40Wall street battle

Not convinced .
300 or 318 , it's kinda the same .
Eiffel Tower is 325 .

Finally , we'll see next year when the contruction license will be delivered

you're gonna love this:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407549&page=16

priceless ;)

Interesting! And incredibly pathetic... :lol:

I believe that Generali, for the moment, are trying not to steal the spotlight from the Phare, and once they build it, then they will steal their thunder by announcing it as the tallest in France when they will count the height from the ground.
Something like a modern version of the Chrysler/40Wall street battle
You're right, I forgot about that. There's also that Phare thing. Having Generali Tower taller than the tour Phare, and tallest tower of Western Europe at that, would kind of blur EPAD's communication campaign.

Interesting! And incredibly pathetic... :lol:

Yes, bnm. How pathetic.

I'm just happy to know you guys were in our neck of the woods checking up on our projects. How sweet!

I tell you what, just enjoy your little moment to shine, eh;)

I believe that Generali, for the moment, are trying not to steal the spotlight from the Phare, and once they build it, then they will steal their thunder by announcing it as the tallest in France when they will count the height from the ground.
Something like a modern version of the Chrysler/40Wall street battle

nice comment , but at the contrary of NYC in the 30s , be the tallest skyscraper in Paris will not get the population applause ...
The majority don't care about buildings and many hate them.

Maybe theses news skyscraper will change people's mind

Interesting! And incredibly pathetic... :lol:

The spirit of revenge has flourish in some people's mind here. That's as pathetic as the rest.

For the time being, London, Barcelona then Paris have set new standards in architecture for high rise developments in Europe. Each of them, in their own style.

Eiffel Tower is 325

eiffel is 300m+antennas. :)

usually we do not take into account antennas as part of the structural
height of a building. see e.g. the thread on burj Dubai.

The Eiffel Tower is NOT a skyscraper though, it's a tall structure.
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Here is a video of one of the contestants for tour Générali project. The architects are Architecture Agency Antony Bechu / Tom Sheehan. This is NOT Valode & Pistre winning project. Thanks to PSS' forumer Krapulax who found the video on the web.

http://mottola.free.fr/Video/vinci.mov

Exactly. And the most beautiful one ever.

To JGG, who wrote rather incendiary comments on the UK forum (link above): "Rez-de-dalle" means "slab level". In French, "ground level" is called "rez-de-chaussée". Take some French lessons before denigrating.

Also, stop insinuating that somehow this is "Brisavoine" way of measuring things. Towers in La Défense have always been measured from the ground below the concrete slab, ever since the first tower appeared in the 1960s. And I wasn't even born then! As for the graphs, none of them was made by me, they were made by forumers on the French forum who know the technical details of La Défense way better than I do. So please stop slandering my name or I'll have to report this to an admin.

I see guys on the UK forum pretend that height doesn't matter, yet they argue in a petty way about Generali's height (even calling into question the integrity of Metropolitan and I !), so I guess height matters to them after all. LOL. The rest, as people say, is just history.

Bottom line of the story is that countries seem to measure the beights of their buildings differently and it appears to me that you are including 5 basement floors into the calculation, unless the main entrance would be from the Boulevard Circulaire. And that cross section with 8 instead of 5 floors below the "rez-de-dalle" is wrong - what your friends call "1st basement floor" and the two floors below that simply do not exist. Anyway, as I stated in that forum, to me the Eiffel tower is still the tallest in Western Europe and I did not want to start a discussion on this world thread about your claims of the height of the Generali tower because it is just not worth the fight. As I already said, if you and the French forumers like to believe that it is 318 m high, then of course please do, the architect, I and quite a few other people put 300 m on this tower as it is designed right now. The reality is that it does not change the tower a bit.

*****************
Here is a video of one of the contestants for tour Générali project. The architects are Architecture Agency Antony Bechu / Tom Sheehan. This is NOT Valode & Pistre winning project. Thanks to PSS' forumer Krapulax who found the video on the web.

http://mottola.free.fr/Video/vinci.mov

That looks great actually! I'm not sure about the turbines on top, ut that could have been changed slightly I suppose. Sorry you guys didn't get that. Is there anychnce it could be recycled as another project?

@JGG check the video posted by Cyril and tell us if you still think that the VIP entrance looks like a basement level.

Anyway, as I stated in that forum, to me the Eiffel tower is still the tallest in Western Europe ...

the tallest what?

the tallest what?

building / monument / whatever. The reason is simple: it has the highest accessible floor - the observation platform. Forget roof, technical floors, antennas, spires and all that other crap.

@JGG check the video posted by Cyril and tell us if you still think that the VIP entrance looks like a basement level.

Yes but that is a different tower. So until we see something like that for Generali there is nothing more that we can say about it than what the architect shows. Anyway, it is a pointless discussion because the architect can still change quite a few things, make some spire higher, add an antenna. And I also understand there is not yet full certainty the tower will be constructed - at least within the time frames communicated. So let's wait and see.

Yes but that is a different tower. So until we see something like that for Generali there is nothing more that we can say about it than what the architect shows. Anyway, it is a pointless discussion because the architect can still change quite a few things, make some spire higher, add an antenna. And I also understand there is not yet full certainty the tower will be constructed - at least within the time frames communicated. So let's wait and see.JGG, the video shows a competitor to the same contest at the same location than the chosen project. How on earth could the ground level be all of a sudden 18 meters higher for the chosen project than for its losing competitor ??? :nuts:

Try to be honnest please if you want people to continue to take you seriously.

I made a stupid sketch just to make things simpler

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7366/defensezk2.png


JGG, when people all around the Paris region will look at la défense and the generali tower, it will be a 318m tower for them, only for people standing on the esplanade it won't.

And no, the first 6 floors are not basement floors because they are over the fundations

JGG, the video shows a competitor to the same contest at the same location than the chosen project. How on earth could the ground level be all of a sudden 18 meters higher for the chosen project than for its losing competitor ??? :nuts:.

It is not because it is the same contest and the same location, that the proposal needs to be the same, no? :nuts: So I really do not get your point. The architect who won has put the main entrance of the building on the esplanade (which nowadays is much more relevant than when it just got constructed some time in the 60s or 70s). So then he shows you a height of the building from the pavement in front of the main entrance. All I can say is that the five floors below are basement floors. Now if the main entrance is put on the Boulevard (not just some garage entrance), then you have got a point as I already said on the other thread.

Try to be honnest please if you want people to continue to take you seriously.

It is not me who makes little drawings where three ficticious floors are added just to make people believe the tower is 18 m higher than what the architect says. Please correct your drawing and then we can talk about honesty. :lol:

Now as I have already said if you and the Paris forumers want to believe the tower is 318 m high I really have no issue with this. But also accept that other people, including the architect, may have a different opinion on it. Therefore please do not try to impose on all of us your new height calculations, certainly not when you add three non-existing floors to the drawings to back up your claim.

And to close off, there are an awful lot of things that will still change to this design and we do not yet have a reliable construction schedule; these are all much more important.

^^JGG, your attitude here is so immature that it's becoming ludicrous. It reminds me of the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution who denied that the US had actually landed on the Moon. As for your schadenfreude ("there is not yet full certainty the tower will be constructed", "there are an awful lot of things that will still change to this design and we do not yet have a reliable construction schedule"), it is frankly pathetic. Seriously, grow up JGG. I've seen a lot unfounded criticism on the Paris threads, but you win the gold medal hands down with your bad faith, character assassination, and sarcasms.

^^JGG, your attitude here is so immature that it's becoming ludicrous. It reminds me of the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution who denied that the US had actually landed on the Moon. As for your schadenfreude ("there is not yet full certainty the tower will be constructed", "there are an awful lot of things that will still change to this design and we do not yet have a reliable construction schedule"), it is frankly pathetic. Seriously, grow up JGG. I've seen a lot unfounded criticism on the Paris threads, but you win the gold medal hands down with your bad faith, character assassination, and sarcasms.

Thank you. I continue to repeat I have no issue at all some people argue the tower is 318 m, please also accept the architect's and my opinion. No further comment needed from my side. :lol:

Looks unique and kinda neat (Krypton-style)

Also, that sharp spire thingy looks like it has lots of purposes:

-attract and absorb lightning/thunder (and convert to electricity)
-to pierce through objects :P

Multi-purpose indeed.

Actually the spire is a UFO-port. Flying saucers can land on it and remain in levitation. This will be a petrol/oil/gas/plasma service station + a drive-in restaurant for aliens.


















j/k

which company is going to build this tower?

Vinci will buid it.

Vinci will buid it.
Vinci will build it for Italian insurer Generali which is the developer. Generali will rent it out (they won't occupy the tower).

Also, that sharp spire thingy looks like it has lots of purposes:

-attract and absorb lightning/thunder (and convert to electricity)
-to pierce through objects :P

Multi-purpose indeed.
Seriously, the spire will contain wind turbines to produce electricity for the tower.

This one is cool, ice cool!

Here are some diagrams from Skyscraperpage showing the Generali Tower among some of the big guys in the world.
This tower, which wasn't even supposed to exist only 2 months ago, certainly holds its ground in terms of height.

Generali Tower among the top 8 skyscrapers of New York City:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/1130/gennycoq3.png

Generali Tower among the top 6 skyscrapers of Hong Kong:
http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/4977/genhkwf9.png

Generali Tower among the top 6 skyscrapers of Tokyo:
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4820/gentkywe0.png

Thanks for those diagrams Brisavoine but don't forget that there are many, many, projects taller than 318 meters all over the world. I know you know it but it was just to remember that it's all relative. ;)

In the Tokyo metro area diagram the newest highest tower of tokyo is forgotten

Tokyo Mid Tower 246 m

Nice diagram, thanks! Tower looks great....

In the Tokyo metro area diagram the newest highest tower of tokyo is forgotten

Tokyo Mid Tower 246 m
This tower is not built yet. It is still under construction. I put only the towers that are already built, i.e. those that people who visited NYC, HK, or Tokyo have already seen.

Yes and no
This tower is already the tallest in tokyo.:)

Regardless, i think the diagrams are here so we can compare to what are already well known buildings, as to give us a better idea of Generali's scaling. Worked for me.

Yes and no
This tower is already the tallest in tokyo.:)
The tallest in Tokyo if you exclude Yokohama. But Yokohama is part of Tokyo's fabric same as La Défense is part of Paris's fabric. And the Landmark office tower in Yokohama is taller than the still u/c Tokyo Mid Tower, right?

Anyway, Brunob got the whole point of these diagrams.

A new render found by a forumer from PSS :

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/328977783_5adf505b32_o.png

Source : http://www.elige.com/vi-entreprise/

I'm not won over yet.

cladding is better. But I am not convinced by this spire.

There was this other render also:

http://grrroux.free.fr/misc/tourm2.JPG

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