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The Montparnasse Tower, built in 1973 was one of the first tall skyscrapers in Paris.
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.

A Classicist City
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
to
wers built in Paris was the Tour Maine Montparnasse.

Construction
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.
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.
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