Tour EDF - La Défence, Paris, France



Architect
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners - Lead Designers Henry N. Cobb & Roy G. Barris
Date Built
2001
Location
La Défence
Description

The Tour EDF is an 41-storey office block built for the French energy company EDF (Électricité de France).  It stands 165 metres high and has an eliptical footprint that is 70 metres long and 32 metres at its widest point.

The architect's website says that it, "occupies a prominent site directly adjoining the "dalle" of La Défense — an elevated pedestrian plaza centered on the monumental axis that extends eastward from the nearby Grande Arche through the Arc de Triomphe to the courtyard of the Louvre in the heart of Paris."  

They add that, "The distinctive form of Tour EDF has its origin in the conviction that the privilege of building on this key site carries with it the corollary obligation to enhance the quality of public space and public life. Hence the tower is shaped in such a way that it does not stand aloof from the "dalle" but rather makes an engaging gesture toward the Parvis de La Défense. The carved prow of the building creates a memorable gathering place where passersby are invited to pause and enjoy the splendid view from a raised platform beneath a sheltering circular canopy-clad, like the tower itself, in stainless steel and glass."






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