The Phare Tower, tallest building to be built in Paris since the Eiffel Tower, will be a powerful symbol of sustainable, performance-driven design. Both the form and the orientation of the building respond to the path of the sun; the south facade’s curvilinear double skin minimizes heat gain and glare, while the flat, clear-glazed north façade maximizes interior exposures to year-round natural daylight. A double skin is at work at all times to maximize energy efficiency. A visually distinctive wind farm crowns the tower and provides clean, alternative energy to power the fans that activate the building’s natural ventilation system. This fully self-sufficient system will cool the building for half of the year without using any outside energy sources or any supplemental heating or cooling. 

There are 68 stories in the 984 ft. tall building, which is part of the redevelopment of the La Défense business district on the outskirts of Paris. Designed by Morphosis Architects, the 1,399,3000 sq. ft. tower uses glass enclosed exterior escalators to transport people 197 ft. up to the lobby, which functions as a public plaza.

During the schematic design phase, VDA provided consulting services for 50 vertical transportation units including: 20 double-deck elevators in low-, mid-, and high-rise groups; and 10 escalators. Groundbreaking is scheduled for July 2008 with construction completion in 2012.

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