| Tour First | |
|---|---|
| Tour First - La Defense - Inauguration 6 mai 2011.jpg Tour First ("First Tower" - English) |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | La Défense (Courbevoie) |
| Coordinates | |
| Completed | 1974 |
| Opening | 1974 |
| Renovated | 2007–2011 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 231 m (758 ft) |
| Roof | 225 m (738 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 50 |
| Floor area | 86,707 m2 (933,310 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (reconstruction), Michel Stenzel, Pierre Dufau, Jean-Pierre Dacbert |
Tour First (previously known as Tour UAP between 1974-1998, and as Tour AXA between 1998-2007) is an office skyscraper located in Courbevoie, a Paris suburb in the La Défense district.
The tower was built in 1974 by Bouygues for the UAP insurance company. The building was 159 m (522 ft) tall at that time. Its ground shape was in the form of a three-pointed star whose branches were separated each by a 120° angle. This particular shape was chosen to symbolize the merger of the three French insurance companies that were at the origin of UAP. The tower was renamed Tour AXA when UAP was bought by the AXA insurance company in 1996.
Large-scale renovation of the tower began in 2007 and was completed in 2011. The exterior appearance of the building was completely changed, with extra height added to the tower. The renovated tower, now known as Tour First, is 225 m (738 ft) tall at roof height, and 231 m (758 ft) including its spire, with a total floor space of 86,707 m² (933,306 sq. ft). It is currently the tallest skyscraper in France.
Another AXA tower exists in New York City, 229 m (751 ft) tall and Tour AXA in Montreal, Canada, which was complete in 1974 and is 104 m tall.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tour Montparnasse |
Tallest Building in France 2009—Present 231 m |
Succeeded by None |