![]() At that time, the city was viewed as overcrowded, dank and disease-ridden. Paris’ city plan and its architectural style mostly date back to the mid-19th century. To understand why many Parisians view Montparnasse Tower as out of place, one must consider why the city looks the way it does today. While residents eventually came around to these now iconic structures, the Montparnasse Tower remains loathed by a significant swathe of people as it approaches the 50th anniversary of its inauguration on June 18. ![]() Pei’s famous glass pyramids, installed outside the Louvre Museum in the mid-1980s, were too radical in style. ![]() The Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889, was derided at first, with some calling it a “tragic street lamp” and a “giant ungainly skeleton.” And many felt architect I.M. Historically, Parisians have had an almost reflexive opposition to major changes to their city’s appearance. The initial ire toward the building - designed by architects Jean Saubot, Eugène Beaudouin, Urbain Cassan and Louis de Hoÿm de Marien - was unsurprising. Since the 59-story chocolate-colored glass tower was inaugurated in 1973, it has been reviled by many Parisians as a blight on the skyline of the “City of Light.” It is the only skyscraper in Paris, standing at 210 meters (689 feet), in a city known mostly for its architectural uniformity. Not because of its breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower or the Sacre-Coeur Basilica perched atop Montmartre, but because it is the only place where you do not have to see the skyscraper itself. There is an old joke in Paris that the top of Montparnasse Tower has the prettiest view in the French capital.
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