City council votes to set 37m height limit in traditionally low rise city following backlash against 180m-tall Le Triangle

Paris has banned tall buildings for a second time following a backlash against Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 controversial 48-storey Le Triangle tower.

The city council passed a height limit of 37m for new buildings across the French capital on Monday evening as part of a new urban plan which aims to reduce the city鈥檚 carbon emissions.

The rule, which is being backed by Socialist party mayor Anne Hidalgo and her Greens party partner, will revive the same 12-storey limit that was imposed on the traditionally low rise city in 1977 following the construction of the much-maligned 210m-tall Montparnasse tower.

Herzog Meuron Triangle

Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 Le Triangle has been at the centre of the debate around tall buildings in Paris

Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 180m pyramid-shaped tower started construction in 2021 after 13 years of planning and legal delays caused by opponents of the scheme.

Together with Jean Nouvel鈥檚 completed Duo twin tower scheme, it has been the emblem of the council鈥檚 drive to cap building heights.

Designed for developer URW, Le Triangle will be the city鈥檚 third tallest building when completed in 2026 after the Eiffel Tower and the Montparnasse tower. The 91,000 sq m building will contain a hotel, offices, a conference centre, shops and restaurants.

URW has claimed the tower 鈥渋ncorporates the highest environmental construction standards鈥� and has a 鈥渃arbon emissions trajectory in line with the Paris climate agreement objectives鈥�.

But Greens councillor 脡mile Meunier said there was 鈥渘o such thing as an ecological tower鈥�.

鈥淏ecause we never want Triangle and Duo towers again, because we have to stop concreting Paris and its sky, environmentalists have included in the future [local urban plan] a maximum height of 37m (12 floors), returning to the historic ceiling of 1977.鈥�

He said the plan will 鈥渕ark the end of towers鈥� in the city and reimpose a 鈥渞easonable鈥� height, describing yesterday鈥檚 vote as a 鈥渃ultural victory for ecologists鈥�.

Hidalgo said the 鈥渂ioclimatic鈥� plan, which includes projects for more green space and public housing, aims to ensure Paris remains an 鈥渁ttractive and pleasant in coming years despite the acceleration in the temperature鈥�.

Unlike London, central Paris has preserved its low-rise character while allowing tall buildings around the fringes, notable the cluster of towers in the D茅fense financial district.

The 1977 height limit stayed in place until 2010, when then mayor Bertrand Delano毛 lifted the ceiling to 180m for office towers and 50m for housing.

Jean Nouvel said at the time: 鈥淭his is not about undermining our heritage. But we have to stop thinking that Paris is a museum-city. Paris is not finished鈥� If vertical buildings can enrich the heart of the capital, why deprive ourselves?鈥�

Herzog & de Meuron is also behind highly contested 拢1.5bn proposals to transform Liverpool Street station which include a 15-storey tower above the grade II-listed Andaz hotel. Plans for the scheme were sent in to City of London planners this spring.

Topics