Ahead of the curve

Sited in southwestern France, near the Pyrenees, the city of Toulouse is steeped in history with 16th- and 19th-century structures, Gothic churches and Medieval villages. Known as France’s fourth-largest city after Paris, Lyon and Marseille, the ‘pink city’ – as Toulouse is informally known, due to its abundance of terracotta-bricked buildings – has it all; the pleasant, picturesque towns and villages, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a university dating back to 1229. One thing that remained missing, however, is a modern-day, sky-reaching tower that rises above the historical streets of the city looking out across the charming panorama of the Pyrenees. Thanks to American-Polish Architect, Daniel Libeskind, this is set to change with the addition of a curvaceous design enshrouded in flora, known as the Occitanie Tower.

Gallery

Fact File

Location:

Toulouse, France

Architect of record:

Kardham

Structural engineer:

Arcadis

Mechanical engineer:

Arcadis

Electrical engineer:

Arcadis

Plumbing engineer:

Arcadis

Landscape architect:

Nicolas Gilsoul

Lighting designer:

8’18’’

S

et to be the first skyscraper in the city, the Occitanie Tower’s curvaceous form is interrupted by a spiral of greenery that rises from street level up to the 40th floor. The 150m mixed-use tower includes 11,000m² of office space, a Hilton hotel, up to 120 apartments, a restaurant with panoramic views, commercial space for shops, and offices on the ground floor for the railway company SNCF.

Integrated into the overall form of the building, the facade and public platform is a continuous vertical landscape. This vertical green ribbon referenced the lush waterway of Canal du Midi that winds through the city. Trees will line the platform of the building and a ribbon of gardens will curl around the glass facade to its full height.

City of Dreams

The tower will be built on the site of the former postal sorting centre at Gare Matabiau. Situated east of the city centre, and away from the Garonne River, the building will have views towards the Pyrenees, that are less than 100km away. The project is projected to become the gateway to the city’s growing business sector.

Share this article

Login to post comments

About us

Future Constructor & Architect is a specification platform for architects and building contractors, which focuses on top-end domestic and commercial developments.

As well as timely industry comment and legislation updates, the magazine covers recent projects and reviews the latest sustainable building products on the market. Subscribe here.

Privacy policy

Latest updates

e-newsletter

Sign up below to receive monthly construction, architecture and product updates from FC&A via email: