Hauts de Seine Tourisme

From the top of the Tower  First....

 231 It is the height in meters of the tower First which will be delivered in February in The La Defense on the location of the former tower Axa. After less than four years of works, this high-rise building, the first one of the plan of revival of the business district, will be the highest of France.

The tower First, situated at the foot of The La Defense, contigue in the Seine, consisted of three branches, each representing one of the insurance companies of the group UAP (" Union of the Insurances of Paris "). It was delivered in 1974, and has a height of structure of 189 meters, for 39 floors and a surface of 68 000m ². This tower of a brown color facade, will not seduce the public, for some per a lot, it deforms even the entrance  of the district. The architects of decette origin tower Axa were: Dufau, Dacebert and Stenzel. The name of code CB31, corresponds in:
C: For Courbevoie, B: for Offices , and 31 its number.

An innovative tower:

Following an international competition, for the renovation of the tower First ( CB31), RFR in association with Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects, took away the market.

The tower will consist of three wings, which directed respectively in the East, in the South, and in the northwest. Each of these wings is rectangular and ends by an oblique roof. Every wing of the building will shelter offices, technical premises, … The podium is will welcome common spaces, reception halls, restaurants, etc., …
The conception of the caldding of the building results from the creation of a facade "double glazing", covered with an additional layer ( the heat shield), which can supply an additional solar protection in the exposed  zones. This heat shield will be essentially situated in zones or the radiations of the sun will be excessive, while maximizing the penetration of the natural light.
The extension of the heat shield of the building  was developed on the basis of the following general principles:
• Minimize the area of the shield on the north facades, • Reduce the area  of the shield to the base, • Maximize the area of the shield on the south facades, and western.
The double-glazed facade consists of panels framed by standard aluminum, each divided into a panel "vision" and into a panel " spandrel ", surmounted at the top of an opaque segment in stainless steel. An arrow will be also installed whose twisted silhouette will not pass unnoticed in the future skyline