PARIS | Tour Phare | 971 FT / 296 M | 71 FLOORS

[FrancoRey]

Originally Posted by psumase

Paris has to have one of the ugliest skylines in the world. This monster only makes it worse.

Put this skyline in any major US city and you'd be all over this skyline like a fat kid on a cupcake. You only think it's ugly because you are not accustomed to seeing western highrises in a European setting. Everyone thinks Europe has to be all "old and traditional" when in reality they are advancing along with everyone else. Paris has one of the densest skylines of any city in the world when it comes to La Defense. AND, it would be among the top 10 if it was in the United States. It's fine, it's modern, and if it rubs you the wrong way, go to Berlin or Rome or other Euro-cities where height limits are enforced. But Paris is just a modern, financial district that wants a contemporary feel along with its older buildings. I like it, and this tower will be a great addition. Well done, París!

[Miu]

Berlin has no height limit.

[FrancoRey]

Originally Posted by Miu

Berlin has no height limit.

Hmmm...then it surprises me that no one has decided to construct any highrises. Frankfurt is the only German city with a decent skyline. That's fine regardless, as Berlin still stands as an example of a lowrise euro-city. The only thing worth a height is Der Fürnsehen...that observation tower thingy...can't spell it for a damn though.

[neverdone]

Originally Posted by FrancoRey

Put this skyline in any major US city and you'd be all over this skyline like a fat kid on a cupcake. You only think it's ugly because you are not accustomed to seeing western highrises in a European setting. Everyone thinks Europe has to be all "old and traditional" when in reality they are advancing along with everyone else. Paris has one of the densest skylines of any city in the world when it comes to La Defense. AND, it would be among the top 10 if it was in the United States. It's fine, it's modern, and if it rubs you the wrong way, go to Berlin or Rome or other Euro-cities where height limits are enforced. But Paris is just a modern, financial district that wants a contemporary feel along with its older buildings. I like it, and this tower will be a great addition. Well done, París!

It is not ugly because it doesn't fit the "old and traditional". Paris's (sp?) ugliness is because Paris has a history of ugly buildings or different buildings that don't compliment each other. This building continues that tradition. This building is unusual, an ugly building in paris is usual.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by neverdone

This building is unusual, an ugly building in paris is usual.

Wow that sounds bad.....but I get what your saying.

[speedy1979]

That is the ugliest skyscraper I have ever seen in my life.

[Lost Island]

It looks like garbage flapping around. I can't believe they are actually building it. Those "hairs" just make it all the more skeevy, too...Godawful.

[SHiRO]

LOL, the more people don't like it, the more I like it.
Go Paris!

[DJM19]

LA architects sure love organic shapes.

[OaktownRush]

I can't believe so many people hate this building, at least its creative right?

I would rather look at something that attempted to do something intresting rather than another crappy box shaped building, give the guy some credit for taking a risk

(personally I think its cool, although I feel if it were a little taller some of the angles that might make it look chubby would be reduced)

[samoen313]

it is very fair to say that. thom mayne is doing something pretty different and out there as far as skyscrapers go and he should get some credit for that. but here is the issue that comes with hiring a starchitect: how much of their ego is in this building and how much of it is a purposeful, thoughtful product of a specific design process? past starchitect projects, notably by daniel libeskind and frank gehry, have come under fire from residents because city officials followed the design blindly having a banner name attached to the project, only to find that it is more a personal whim of the architect than a city-specific building. in any case, its a difficult to understand building that has taken a lot of liberties in form, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many people who understand where the form came from. to me it seems like a case of mayne trying too hard to reject traditional skyscraper forms in favor of something amoebic and generally hard to put into word.

but you are right, mayne is a boundary pusher and for that he deserves a nod. but just because a box is an oft-used design, doesn't mean it is always a bad one. numerous boxes out there built with high-quality materials and proportion can look outstanding in a skyline (look at uptown munchen for a good example).

[com.koenig]

i agree with starchitects issue and lack of humility of such projects.
but regardless of architect, i also see somewhere a motivation from cities like paris, having an middle class skyline, to create a landmark by shape where they cannot do it by height or strength, eventually selecting the most "standing-out" project only to ... stand out. kind of inferiority complex in my opinion.
i think it works quiet good in london, st mary axe is a pure wonder and coming projects afaik are great, but not in paris if they build that thing - though current project and especially T1 are nice.
moreover, such a project must be a headache to technically build, rising the costs X times what they would be with a more conventionnal project... and maybe money could be better spent in giving it more height and less shape. geez, somewhere my tax are going to pay for that...
please, whoever is in charge, curb your ego and don't do the montparnasse mistake again !!!

nonetheless i agree to give credits to him for the creativity in this project, I'd like to see this tower be build separatly where it would really stand out, where it would give a personnality and worldwide visibility to a place that do not have any (see guggenheim bilbao, turning torso malmö) and not to interfere in a place that already has its line. regardless of its own aspect (may be i could learn to love it), it simply doesn't fit here in my opinion and it's too evidently a try to catch attention whatever.

[SHiRO]

Oh please stop whining, this is a great tower, full of character and very fitting in Paris. That projected skyline looks great!
This one is possibly going to do for La Defense what the Ghurkin did for the City.

btw, it's stupid to even have a strong opinion one way or the other because the thing isn't even build yet!

[Lost Island]

yep it's official....now it's really disgusting

[LMich]

Originally Posted by Lost Island

yep it's official....now it's really disgusting

You're so evil, Lost.

[SHiRO]

Originally Posted by LMich

You're so evil, Lost.

Pretty childish if you ask me...

Like this tower or don't like it, but don't go proclaiming what it's going to do for Paris or why it should or shouldn't be build. That's for Paris to decide and some people on this forum should stay far away from that.

[LMich]

No, you're being childish:

"LOL, the more people don't like it, the more I like it."

And, this is a pattern. People are allowed to dislike it, and strongly dislike just as they are any proposal or constructed building. Have you read through this forum? It's fully of people talking about where and why something shouldn't be built, and you're taking things far too personal, as usual, for obvious reasons if you ask me.

[Lost Island]

I guess we're wrong, LMich. Who knew a discarded loofah had such character?

I've always liked La Defense, though. Love some of the latest additions and UC.

[SHiRO]

Originally Posted by LMich

No, you're being childish:

"LOL, the more people don't like it, the more I like it."

And, this is a pattern. People are allowed to dislike it, and strongly dislike just as they are any proposal or constructed building. Have you read through this forum? It's fully of people talking about where and why something shouldn't be built, and you're taking things far too personal, as usual, for obvious reasons if you ask me.

That's not childish at all. It just reinforces the uniqueness of the tower that so many people don't like it.

Lost Island's comment is childish and you laughing about it (yes I read your comment before you editted) is really unbecoming, but we've been there before.

If you pay attention and would not try to sound like an authority on anything here I said it was perfectely fine for anyone to have an opinion either way.
It's when people who have never been to Paris and never having seen La Defense with their own eyes start proclaiming all kinds of things, when things start to get annoying (again). London builds a giant buttplug and Barcelona a giant dildo and now Paris is going to build this thing...so everyone not liking it and not living in Paris or near it is just going to get over it...

[OaktownRush]

I didn't mean to knock boxes, there are some box shaped buildings that are absolutely amazing. I was just happy to see something new and intresting. I think its just what any city wants, it inspires debate (alot apparently) and draws attention. I don't see what city wouldn't want that.