10 Interesting Facts About Montparnasse Tower

Do you want to know some interesting facts about Montparnasse Tower in Paris?

Commonly called Tour Montparnasse or Montparnasse Tower, the 689-foot (210 meters) office skyscraper in Paris is named Tour Maine-Montparnasse – or Maine-Montparnasse Tower – in full.

Named after Montparnasse, the area in the city where it is located, in the 15th Arrondissement of Paris, the tower is one of the most peculiar landmarks in the French capital.

While Paris is home to plenty of architectural wonders such as Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre-Dame, la Tour Montparnasse is easily one of the city’s most distinguishable buildings and certainly a unique part of the Paris skyline.

Montparnasse Tower is also among the most popular, attracting some 1.2 million visitors every year.

This legendary Parisian tower was designed by architects Louis Hoym de Marien, Urbain Cassan, and Eugène Beaudouin, with help of Jean Saubot.

The structure weighs some 130,000 tons and has a total of 7,200 windows, with 6 underground levels and foundations that are 70 meters deep.

Read on to learn more interesting facts about this odd Parisian structure that provides some of the most amazing views of Paris.

Interesting Facts About Montparnasse Tower

Let’s jump into our list of 20 facts about Montparnasse Tower that make this Parisian building so interesting.

1. Montparnasse Tower was built on top of a train station.

The history of Montparnasse Tower goes back to 1934, when the French railway company SNCF determined that the Gare Montparnasse railway station was no longer satisfactory.

Twenty-five years later, the reconstruction of the metro station resulted in a major urban renewal project. It was decided that the said station would be relocated and the now-vacant land would be repurposed. This land became the site of the legendary Montparnasse Tower that we know today.

2. Montparnasse Tower is the first and oldest skyscraper in Paris.

Montparnasse Tower was built from 1969 to 1973, making it the oldest skyscraper in Paris. It was inaugurated in June of 1973, becoming the first ever building this tall in the French capital.

3. Montparnasse Tower was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011.

Since its completion in 1973, Montparnasse Tower was the tallest skyscraper in the country until the 758-foot Tour First broke this record in 2011 – after over 40 years.

However, the 59-storey Montparnasse Tower remains the tallest structure in the French capital outside of the La Défense business district (where Tour First is located).

4. Montparnasse Tower is currently the third-tallest building in France.

At 689 feet (210 meters), Montparnasse Tower comes in third place in the list of France’s tallest buildings.

Tour Hekla (built in 2022) at 722 feet (220 meters) comes in second place and Tour First (built in 2011) emerges on top of the list at 758 feet (231 meters). These two are both located in La Défense, in the west of the city limits of Paris.

5. Montparnasse Tower was deemed so ugly that, for decades, the city of Paris banned any further buildings above seven storeys.

Although impressive at just about 100 meters shorter than the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse Tower’s black appearance and its modern look are said to be out of place in Paris’ urban landscape.

This created such an uproar when the tower was first completed, with people hating it and calling it the ugliest building in Paris. The city was pressured to prohibit any further buildings that have over seven floors.

This law was approved just 2 years after the tower’s completion, banning buildings taller than 7 storeys within the historical center of Paris. It was only a few years ago that they lifted the said ban for neighborhoods outside the city center.

Today, even after over 4 decades, this sentiment has never gone away completely.

6. Montparnasse Tower was voted second in the list of “The World’s Top 10 Ugliest Buildings and Monuments” in 2008.

In 2008, Montparnasse Tower was in second place – next to the Boston City Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, USA – in the list of “The World’s Top 10 Ugliest Buildings and Monuments.” This is according to both the readers and editors of the now-defunct Virtual Tourist website.

The LuckyShoe Monument in Tuuri, Finland, came in third place.

7. Montparnasse Tower was climbed three times with only hands and feet – and no safety devices.

The first feat took place in 1995 and was repeated in 2015 by the same person – French urban climber Alain Robert, nicknamed “the French Spider-Man” or the “Human Spider” for obvious reasons. Without safety devices of any kind, Robert reached the top of the tower by scaling its exterior glass and steel wall.

This was also achieved in 2020 by Marcin Banot, a climber from Poland.

8. A famous fine-dining restaurant is located on one of Montparnasse Tower’s top floors.

Aptly named and no doubt one of the most famous restaurants in Paris, le Ciel de Paris – Sky of Paris – not only serves refined French luxury cuisine but provides its guests with sweeping views of the city as well.

Le Ciel de Paris is decked in an organic, ethereal décor and located high on the Montparnasse Tower’s 56th floor.

If you’re craving for some foie gras or caviar in the French capital, first consider the Sky of Paris. Because what could be better than enjoying exquisite food with a stunning view of Paris skyline (including the Eiffel Tower)? Le Ciel de Paris is also the best place to go for a cocktail or two.

9. Montparnasse Tower offers 360-degree panoramic view of Paris.

Said to be the only place where you can see the true colors of the French capital, getting on the viewing deck of Montparnasse Tower allows you to really see just how big Paris’ monuments and parks are. You can also see just how big the city is when on top of the tower.

This is possible because the observation deck is right on the roof of the tower, not to mention its central location that provides some really astonishing views that are not possible in most places in Paris.

From up the Montparnasse Tower, you can see as far as the Stade de France which is situated behind the Montmartre Hill and the Sacré-Coeur. You can see up to 40 km. far in all directions if you happen to be on the tower’s viewing deck on a clear day. By night, Montparnasse Tower allows you to have the best possible view of the Eiffel Tower that sparkles with flashing lights every hour.

If you want to see everything in Paris from one single spot, the Montparnasse Tower Panoramic Observation Deck is the place to be.

10. Montparnasse Tower was contaminated with asbestos – and it took three years to remove it.

It was discovered in 2005 that Montparnasse Tower contained asbestos material, a chemical that can cause cancer when inhaled. It was revealed that legal limits of asbestos fibers per liter in Montparnasse Tower were surpassed, reaching 20 times the legal limit on at least one occasion. This resulted in some tenants abandoning their offices in the tower.

The removal of asbestos was started in 2009 and ended in 2012, when the building was declared 90% clear of asbestos. During these three years, the building continued to operate as usual – something that was considered remarkable.

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