Paris ''Triangle 2'' view from the street

all images vourtesy of Tour Trangle

After approval of  Herzog&de Meuron’s controversial ‘’Triangle’’ at the end of June, the discussions about the project still keep up-to-date. At the end of June, the project had been approved by city councillors by getting planning permission for its 180-meter-high in the South-West of the city.

After the built of Tour Montparnasse in 1973, new Paris skyscrapers were  prohibited by a 36-meter height limit for new buildings in the city because of  preservation of Paris' unique aesthetic, reported in CNN Style. However, height restrictions were lifted in 2010 and new project come out recently named ‘’Triangle 2’’ shattered all the limits with a 180-meter glass triangle for Paris. ‘’Triangle 2’’ was rejected in November, the project was re-voted and given a planning permission by city councillors last month. Especially, when considered its economic opportunities for Paris, the ‘’Triangle 2’’ was supported by Socialist Party Mayor Anne Hidalgo since the project included 70,000 square meters of office space, luxury accommodation and leisure facilities.

According to Deputy Mayor Jean Louis Missika, "The abandonment of this project would be a disaster for the economy in Paris," by claiming that the project would create 3000 permanent jobs. On the other hand, the designer of the project Herzog& de Meuron stressed that "(We) take into account the impact of a high building on its environment," the architects said in a statement. "Its triangular shape reduces casting shadows on adjacent residential buildings. The environmental approach of the project is also perceptible in its simple, compact volume, which limits its ground impact."

Although there were some supporters of ‘’Triangle 2’’, it is still claimed that the project does not offer some specific solutions and ignore some problems. Miranda Bothe, a real estate expert at Paris Property Group said that "There is already a lot of empty office space in Paris and the close suburbs - currently more than one million square meters," and "The Triangle offices are not pre-rented." Added Miranda Bothe. Moreover, after a survey about new Triangle, %62 of Parisians rejected this skyscraper since the project does not ‘’give answers to their current needs’’ said a spokesperson for Collective a resident pressure group. Specifically, according to CNN Style article, ecologists said that ‘’this irregular shape requires higher energy consumption, and believe the project is ill-suited to the city environment.’’ and one spokesperson underscored that "Tour triangle disrespects the existing place and Paris skyline," "We are convinced that contemporary architecture can express itself in harmony with existing place. It is not the case with this isolated skyscraper which is 180 meters high and 150 meters wide."

It is believed that ‘’Triangle 2’’ will be a precursor of further disruption for many projects, which will be constructed in other cities and will create a ‘’negative impact’’ on other skyscrapers. One of the latest articles written by William JR Curtis featured in Architectural Review had pointed that the project is an ''irrelevant extravaganza’’ leading to the destruction of  ‘’collective memory and urbanity'' and Curtis added that "The real aim was − and is − to break the zoning laws which restrict heights in central Paris so as to allow a free-for-all of towers for greedy developers and architects." The construction of the project starts next year and do you still think that it will destroy the tradition of Paris-the romance of Paris? - do you really want to see ‘’Triangle 2’’ in Paris? or will it trigger the interest –passion for Paris?

> via CNN