The site with the Grand Arch, the Axis to Louvre, the Nouvel–Ibos -tower and the proposed tower

Detail of the Model: The tower is raised above a road junction

The task was to design a headquarters building for a hypothetical worldwide investment bank, to be located in La Défence, Paris. The competition area was very near to the Grand Arch.

I decided to create another high-rise tower in order to form a pair to the “Tour sans Fin” (J. Nouvel / J-M. Ibos) in the skyline of the city. The two towers are situated symmetrically in regard to the historical axis, which starts from the Louvre and continue to the Grand Arch via Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe. The composition unites the incoherent city structure of La Défence and gives a new balance to the axis.

(2008 Jean Nouvel chose the very same site to the winning project in the Signal Tower competition.)

The tower consists of twelve zones on top of one another. The space structure of the zones is based on a fractal called ”Menger’s Sponge”. The office spaces are situated partly in the tower, partly under a glass deck. On the deck there’s a large public park for the people to meet. From the park there’s an external transport system to the top of the tower.