Paris, 12 July 2019 – Tour ALTO is a unique tower and an iconic project that will be completed by April 2020 and will transform the skyline of the Défense district in Paris. Designed by IF Architectes, with SRA Architectes acting as Executive Architect, the 38 floors of the 150-metre tower will house high-class offices on a total surface area of 51,000 m²: an architectural and technological masterpiece that combines sustainability, aesthetics and functionality.
The project is part of a district development plan. The elegant, flexible shapes of this surprising building will renew the area's architectural environment, its forms in stark contrast with the geometry and linear shapes of other local constructions. On the other hand, the bright and stimulating internal areas promote social well-being and inspire creative excellence, conviviality and productivity through their poly-functional, comfortable, rational features.
Moreover, Permasteelisa has always stood apart from the crowd for its commitment to environmental sustainability. Its use of sustainable materials and processes and commitment to constantly developing solutions able to guarantee energy savings all contribute to protecting the environment - making buildings more liveable and, lastly, improving the quality of the world we live in. The Tour ALTO project, in particular, is aimed at obtaining the BREEAM Excellent Certification – the most important method for evaluating sustainability in buildings worldwide – thanks to the use of highly efficient technologies, such as the double skin insulating façade. Tour ALTO has already been awarded the WiredScore Platinum; it is one of the first in France to gain this label.
Original aesthetics and high-performance: the features of Tour ALTO
The tower rises from a base of 600 m² that expands gradually as it reaches its maximum height, to arrive at 1,800 m² on the top platform: the surface area of the floors grows parallel with the building’s height. Its unusual flared shape required specific technological solutions, the edge beam on each floor was moved outwards by 12 cm, and with it, the façade was also moved.
The project also features 21,400 m² of glass: the apparent fluidity of the tower and its innovative architectural design have required customized solutions, resulting in a unique building façade - the only one of its kind in France. It is a double skin façade that provides insulation and ventilation, thus generating better performing and more comfortable work environments. The functional aspect complements the aesthetic aspect: the building is clad in 3,700 scales in glass and steel, in 1,700 different types. Architectural skins have become indispensable not only in promoting sustainable urban development, but also in transforming cities into more aesthetically pleasant places.
The project was completed by combining the knowledge and competence of three companies from the Permasteelisa Group. Permasteelisa France managed the general work process in close collaboration with the technical team of Bouygues Construction and the installation. Permasteelisa S.p.A. is working on the design and engineering of the internal and external skins, as well as the configuration of models and production of internal units. Permasteelisa España handled the production of the external units of the façade.
Tour ALTO is, in order of time, the last of the great architectural works successfully completed in France by the Permasteelisa Group, thanks to the collaboration of all the actors involved. Since 1998, in fact, the Group has been working in France to turn the ideas of the world’s greatest architects into reality, with 63 projects already carried out in the Country, of which 42 in Paris, and 4 buildings currently under construction in the French capital.