24 - Tour Albert

24 - Tour Albert - Édouard Albert - 1960

33 Rue de Croulebarbe, Paris

The construction of the Albert Tower was part of an urban planning project aimed at linking rue Croulebarbe to avenue de la SœurRosalie, which are separated by a steep drop in elevation; however, the project was abandoned because the RATP refused to allow a footbridge to be built over the maintenance station it occupied. The tower is clearly distinguishable from the surrounding buildings by its height and architectural style. For this first “skyscraper” for residential use, the architect attempted to integrate the highrise building into the Parisian landscape and to put constructive intelligence at the service of a flexible plan. High-rise buildings, born in the United States at the end of the 19th century with metal structures, only appeared late in France, where urban planning regulations did not allow them for a long time. In 2005 the tower underwent renovations to bring it up to date of living standards.

The 67-meter high, 23-story Albert Tower, was the first residential skyscraper built in Paris. Its load-bearing structure is composed of hollow steel tubes of 19.1 to 21.6 centimeters filled with concrete. The floors are made of reinforced concrete slabs laid on the tubes. The structure is reinforced by a double longitudinal bracing and by a cross bracing. The load-bearing steel tubes are left exposed. The facades alternate glazed panels and stainless steel panels placed randomly according to the interior distribution. The terrace on the 6th floor, decorated with a fresco by Jacques Lagrange, may seem curious: the architect had planned a footbridge on this floor leading to the rue Abel-Hovelaque but it was never built. The Albert Tower has high-speed elevators, closed parking lots, no facing walls.

It became the image of modernity in the 1960s. The tower is an icon of modern architecture in Franceand is recognized as much for its aesthetics as for its constructive intelligence. The building was listed on the supplementary inventory of historical monuments in 1994.