What are those twin towers you can see from the ring road east of Paris?

If you take the ring road around Porte de Bagnolet, you'll see two tall twin towers dominating the surrounding area to the east of Paris. But what are they, and what purpose do they serve? We tell you more about the Mercuriales.

Passing through Porte de Bagnolet, you come across two tall twin towers with a New York feel? Welcome to the Mercuriales, those mysterious skyscrapers that sometimes intrigue motorists and their passengers. Where do they come from, what are they for, and why are they standing there like that? We tell you all about it.

Les Mercuriales are two large glass towers rising up in eastern Paris, just off the ring road. It's as if someone had tried to copy and paste Manhattan in Bagnolet. Built in the 1970s, they were intended to be the starting point for a major business district... but never came to fruition. Since then, they have continued to fascinate as much as they detract.

Where do these funny tricks come from?

Does their name remind you of a brand of medicine or a planet? No wonder: their names are Levant (to the east) and Ponant (to the west), and together they form the Mercuriales towers. Their look? Directly inspired by New York's World Trade Center, no less. The idea: to create a new business district to the east of Paris, to balance out that of La Défense to the west. Ambitious, isn't it?

Why were they left alone?

The project looked promising, but the oil crisis of 1973 brought everything to a screeching halt. The result: the two towers were built, but the rest of the neighborhood never saw the light of day. So there they stood, a little lonely, above the motorway interchange, like two great watchtowers on the ring road.

What are they good for today?

For a long time, the Mercuriales were mainly offices. But they are now undergoing a major transformation. By 2027, they should be completely transformed:

The Tour Ponant will become a 750-room hotel, with rooftop, restaurant and panoramic views.
The Levant Tower, meanwhile, will be converted into a residence for young professionals and students, with a gym, coworking facilities and shops.

A real facelift for these glass giants, which were in dire need of a second wind.

Why this particular look?

If they intrigue you so much, it's also because of their futuristic 70s-style architecture. Standing 114 metres high at the roof (and up to 175 m with the antennas), they are clad in mirror-blue glass that reflects the sky and the city. Their framework rests on a central core, a technique that allows the floors to be arranged as desired. In short, at the time, this was the ultimate in modular offices.

So, are they still as mysterious as ever?

Not so much! The Mercuriales towers are a mixture of urban utopia, architectural failure and heralded renaissance. While awaiting their transformation, they continue to dominate the entrance to Paris like two unusual and fascinating glass sentinels.

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