Montparnasse Tower

Montparnasse Tower

Standing on the Left Bank of the Seine, the Montparnasse Tower is the only modern office building in Paris’s ancient city and is disdainfully referred to as the "Phantom Tower" by most tradition-conscious Parisians. The Montparnasse Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Paris, France, located in the Montparnasse district, reaching 210 meters in height. With Europe’s fastest elevator, it takes just 38 seconds to whisk you up to 196 meters above the ground, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the entire city of Paris.

The Montparnasse Tower was built between 1969 and 1972 and was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011. It is currently the eleventh tallest building in Europe. Designed by architects Eugène Beaudouin, Urbain Cassan, and Louis Hoym de Marien, and completed by Campenon Bernard, the Montparnasse Tower was constructed on the former site of the Paris Montparnasse Railway Station (Bienvenüe Paris Métro station). It includes 59 floors of office space, with a high-rise hotel on the 56th floor and an observation deck at the top, allowing visitors to take in sweeping views of Paris. From the tower’s summit, visitors can see scenery spanning up to 40 kilometers and even watch planes taking off from Orly Airport.

Opposition, back-and-forth debates, protests, and negotiations never ceased regarding the construction plans for the Montparnasse Tower. Two years after its completion, the Paris municipal government passed legislation restricting the construction of skyscrapers in the inner city. Today, only by ascending this both famous and “ugly” tower can you gaze upon the full panorama of Paris: harmonious, proud, mature, and undeniably beautiful. This is perhaps the only benefit the Montparnasse Tower has brought to Parisians.

Montparnasse Tower

Must-Visit Reason: The Tallest Skyscraper in Paris

Continent: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region: France[France]

Province/State: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City: Paris [Paris]