The international tender for the new high-rise building Tour Signal in the La Defense business district of Paris has been awarded to architectural firm Ateliers Jean Nouvel, EPAD, the body overseeing the development of La Defense, said at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday.

The winning project, which was presented by Spanish investor Medea and developer Layetana Desarollos, will reach a height of 301 metres and comprise 140,000 m2 of space, of which 50,000 m2 will be destined for offices, 33,000 m2 for residential, and 20,000 m2 for retail. The building will include a 39,000 m2 hotel.

Project Description: Tour Signal -- La Defense:

” The team : this project is presented by the investors and developers Medea and Layetana, and the Ateliers Jean Nouvel teams of architects.

The architect : Jean Nouvel was born in 1945 at Fumel, in France. Ateliers Jean Nouvel is one of the largest architectural fi rms in France and Jean Nouvel is recognized as one of the most innovative architects on the international scale. His unique approach is revealed through projects such as the Institut du monde arabe, the Opéra de Lyon, the Reina Sofi a Museum in Madrid, and the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

The investors : in 1985, Layetana introduced the fi rst 3rd generation buildings on the Spanish property market. In 2001, with Jean Nouvel, it developed the Agbar Tower, a symbolic and innovative offi ce building in the very heart of Barcelona.
Medea is a French subsidiary of the Cresa group, and the main shareholder in METRAVESCA and SACRESA, which are two leading property companies in Spain.

The project : the team chose the West Gate as the location for its project in order to open the La Défense district to the municipality of Puteaux. This project’s ambition is to create a stronger polarity at the heart of the Ile-de-France and develop a major attraction while relating the project to its natural and built environment and, lastly, embodying the various elements which strengthen the feeling that the project belongs in the district.”