Tour Montparnasse

One of the main reasons why Paris is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world is the continuity in its urban planning and architecture. From the early developments during the reign of Henry IV in the 16th century up to the 19th century with the large developments under Haussmann, the Prefect of the Seine from 1853 until 1870, the international architecture had little influence on Paris.

Even large influential architectural styles like Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau and the Modernist style had very little practical effect on Paris where classicism was seen as the true French style. This started to change after the second World War when the new Gaullist regime of 1958 started to support and even promote the development of towers in the city center. One of the first major towers built in Paris was the Tour Maine Montparnasse.

The project started as a redevelopment scheme of the Montparnasse and Maine railway stations in 1958 and had strong support from the new government. The tower itself was built between 1969 and 1973.
According to the initial plans, the tower would have a maximum height of 154 meter (505 ft). But even after this was approved by a commission, the developers increased the height to more than 200 meter, even though this increase was never officially approved.

During construction, the tower was very popular as it became a symbol of the new modern Paris. This changed however when the 210 meter (689 ft) tall Tour Montparnasse was completed. Public optinion turned against the tower mainly because it intruded the skyline. Nowadays, the Paris skyscrapers are built on the outskirts of the city, mainly in the Défense area.