Last selfies at the Montparnasse Tower Observatory before it closes for renovations

A resident of the area for more than ten years, Béatrice, a 45-year-old artist, went up for the first time on Monday to the Observatory of the Montparnasse Tower, at the very top of the iconic 210-meter building.

"At first I didn't really like it, but since I know they're going to transform it, I look at it differently. I'm starting to like it," she told AFP. She appreciates "the change of perspective" of being above the streets she usually walks.

From the street, the dark facade appears more deserted than ever. No workers, no lights, barely a single cabinet still in place. Everything is empty except for the Observatory, confirms a security guard.

Opened in 1974, a year after the inauguration of the Montparnasse tower, the Observatory offers a 360-degree view of all of Paris from a 900 m³ terrace, as well as an enclosed floor on the 56th.

Since its opening, more than 30 million visitors have come to enjoy "the most iconic view of the Eiffel Tower", says Caroline Biros, communications director of Magnicity, the company that owns the Observatory.

More than 60% of these visitors are foreign, "many Chinese, but also Americans, English, Spanish, Brazilians, and, before, Russians," explains Caroline Delaire, director of the place.

Decline in international tourism

The terrace, very windy and intermittently sunny, is not very busy on Monday afternoon, about thirty people are taking pictures with the Eiffel Tower, with the 1.60m high letters "PARIS" preceded by a heart, or on the ten or so red armchairs installed in the center.

From "800.000 to 900.000 annual visitors" before Covid, attendance has fallen to "between 600.000 and 700.000", impacted by geopolitical crises, the decline in the number of Chinese tourists and the year of the Olympic Games, which are not very beneficial to Parisian monuments, according to Caroline Biros.

The architecture of this tower has always been a subject of debate; the only skyscraper amidst the low-rise buildings of southern Paris, it is sometimes nicknamed the wart, the black widow, or the exclamation point. The most cynical will say that the advantage of being at the top of the Montparnasse Tower is not being able to see it.

1 billion for the neighborhood

"It's not the most beautiful monument in Paris, so I'm not surprised they're redoing it," says Ylydiah, a 22-year-old crisis management student.

For her friend Silveria, "it's a good thing to improve the aesthetics of the tower. This will fit into the major changes in Paris," notes the 24-year-old urban planning student.

The building, currently occupied mainly by offices, is to be transformed into a glass tower housing a hotel, shops and services, topped by an agricultural greenhouse. The renovation is expected to take four years and was designed by the architecture firm Nouvelle AOM, formed specifically for this project through the merger of three Parisian firms.

The cost exceeds 600 million euros for the tower and approaches one billion euros when adding the renovations of the nearby "CIT" office building, the shopping center and the slab that links the different buildings of this block.

The vast project has been in development for ten years; an initial building permit was approved by the Paris City Hall in 2019, but appeals, among other things, have delayed the work.

Upon reopening, "the Observatory will reclaim its rightful place," promises Caroline Delaire, even though it is "still too early to know" the details. Magnicity will retain ownership of the top floor, which could house a panoramic restaurant, a bar, or something else.