\n France’s controversial\u00a0Montparnasse\u00a0Tower\u00a0is entering a new era. A stark symbol of post-war modernism in the heart of Paris, the skyscraper inaugurated in 1973 is\u00a0set to\u00a0get\u00a0a facelift. Work is expected to begin this summer and continue until at least\u00a02030. We take a closer look in this edition of France in Focus. <\/p>\n
Rising 210 metres above the French<\/a> capital, the Montparnasse\u00a0<\/a>Tower has never left anyone indifferent. For many, it\u00a0remains\u00a0an anomaly in the Parisian skyline,\u00a0“a huge block with no expression whatsoever”.\u00a0Over the past five decades, it has even earned nicknames\u00a0like\u00a0“the\u00a0wart”,\u00a0“the\u00a0eyesore”\u00a0and\u00a0“the tombstone”.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yet despite its reputation, the edifice continues to draw crowds. More than 30 million visitors have gone to its rooftop terrace to\u00a0admire\u00a0sweeping views of the city. Up there, criticism often gives way to awe. “It’s massive!” exclaims one visitor, seeing the Louvre<\/a> and surrounding landmarks for the first time from above.\u00a0<\/p>\n A \u20ac600 million transformation\u00a0 <\/p>\n Since March 31, 2026, the Tour Montparnasse has been closed to the public to make way for construction work. The project, estimated at over \u20ac600 million, is backed by private investors, including\u00a0the\u00a0asset manager LFPI,\u00a0the\u00a0health\u00a0insurer MGEN,\u00a0the insurance company\u00a0AXA and\u00a0businessman\u00a0Xavier Niel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Plans include a complete redesign of the fa\u00e7ade, the addition of green and recreational spaces, a luxury hotel and improved energy performance. The aim\u00a0is to\u00a0make the skyscraper\u00a0both more attractive and more environmentally sustainable.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, these promises have failed to convince everyone. Some\u00a0local residents\u00a0and heritage<\/a> groups\u00a0remain\u00a0sceptical, arguing that the environmental measures fall short.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Only about\u00a030 percent of the surface area\u00a0will\u00a0actually\u00a0be\u00a0made greener,”\u00a0says Patrice Maire, head of the Monts14 residents’ association, who\u00a0sees the project as more of a marketing\u00a0stunt\u00a0than a genuine ecological transformation. In his view,\u00a0the\u00a0future\u00a0tower will continue to\u00a0be an “eyesore” in the world’s most beautiful city.\u00a0<\/p>\n A long-standing controversy\u00a0 <\/p>\n The debate surrounding the tower is nothing new. In the late 1960s, authorities sought to modernise the Montparnasse district, even if that meant breaking with its artistic and bohemian identity.\u00a0They dreamed of turning Paris<\/a> into a modern, Manhattan-style skyline.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Yet from the moment it was completed, the tower divided opinion so sharply that just four years after its inauguration, the city introduced strict height limits, banning buildings over 37 metres (around ten\u00a0floors).\u00a0<\/p>\n Although these rules were\u00a0eased in 2010 in response to\u00a0overcrowding, the renovation of the Tour Montparnasse has reignited this long-running debate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Complicating matters further are\u00a0ongoing\u00a0negotiations between co-owners and public authorities, which have dragged on for more than a decade and\u00a0have\u00a0repeatedly delayed the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Paris imposes certain conditions, but it’s not their project,” explains Robert\u00a0Benchetrit, who has worked within the Montparnasse complex for over 30 years.\u00a0“It’s\u00a0a private initiative, led by co-owners with the financial means to carry out renovation and improvement works. If the city had its way, it would all be social housing<\/a>.”\u00a0<\/p>\n An ageing complex\u00a0 <\/p>\n In\u00a0all, three buildings are set to be refurbished. Work on the main tower and its smaller counterpart, the Tour CIT, is due to begin this summer, while the shopping centre at their base is scheduled for\u00a0renovations\u00a0in\u00a02028.\u00a0<\/p>\n