The Defence will relaunch with new tricks
July 12, 2010
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphics.
Slowed by the crisis, the revival of the first European business district, announced in 2006, finally materializes.
Two thousand employees of Suez Environnement find these days their new offices in the Defense a tower, completely rebuilt, the BC 21. Much more than ordinary business move, it is a true symbol. The skyscraper is the first vessel delivered under the revival plan of the business district was presented in 2006.
The EPAD (Etablissement Public d'Aménagement de la Défense) announced a mammoth project: to build, by 2015, 300,000 sqm of new office space and 150,000 for the demolition and reconstruction.The leaders of the first European business district, designed in the 1960s, wanted to catch up in terms of image to competitors more modern, especially in London.
Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, the project's future does not seem assured. Many plans have been reviewed. "Initially, we wanted to increase the capacity of the tower CB 21-100 000 m² 70,000 m² cons for the old building Gan, recognizes Olivier Esteve, Director General of Land regions. This amounted to adding seven floors and build a completely new. But it has become impossible to fund such an operation. So, we just restructured the old tower. "
These setbacks have not dampened the enthusiasm of the initiators of the revival plan, even if the initial delays can extend for several years."With current projects, keep our goals," says Philippe Chaix, Director General of Epadesa (Etablissement Public d'Aménagement de la Défense and Seine-Arche) resulting from the merger in early July, the 'EPAD and Epas.
Several other sites are also well advanced. In February or March, First Tower, built on the tower Axa, will be delivered. In October 2011 the first stone of the tower Carpe Diem, erected in place of the building France Telecom, will be raised. In total, the demolition and reconstruction represent more than 200,000 square meters, one third more than expected.
Side building from scratch, optimism is more guarded. Majunga Tower (70,000 sqm) is almost certain to leave Earth in 2013. The luxury project (250,000 m²) of Hermitage Plaza consists of two towers mixed (offices, shops, homes) seems close to finalization."In fact, apart from the Tour Signal by Jean Nouvel will not be for lack of investors, nothing has been abandoned," says Philippe Perello, a partner in the firm of property consultants Knight Frank.
Projects deferred
However, several projects have been deferred. Air Tower 2 will not be completed in 2013 as planned. "After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, all discussions with bankers and the EPAD were frozen. With this delay, we will deliver more in the summer of 2015, "said Eric Sasson, CEO of real estate in Europe for Carlyle, the investor of the building. The time lags due to the huge sums involved: the budget for the twin towers of Hermitage reached two billion euros.
Now the time is less and less commitment to the Pharaohs."When the projects were mounted, investors planning to rent a square meter a year to 700 euros, analysis Escleine Laurence, director of office agency in Ile-de-France for DTZ. Today, companies potentially tenants will not pay over 550 euros for brand new offices of Defense. "
Result, less architectural splendor and budget revised downwards. On Air 2, for example, the facade, which was to be made of a double skin, will consist of a single coating. One way to cut down 5% on construction costs. During bleak, there are no small savings.
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.