The Mercuriales towers, twin towers located in the Porte de Bagnolet district of the 20th arrondissement, are emblematic of the eastern Paris landscape. Built in the 1970s (1975-1977), they bear witness to the ambition of the time to create a replica of the La Défense district, this time to the east of Paris. In the end, the project never saw the light of day due to the 1979 oil crisis and the ensuing economic downturn. Of the entire district that had been planned, only the two Mercuriales dominate the urban landscape of Porte de Bagnolet, like a Parisian World Trade Center.
Abandoned a few years ago, the Mercuriales will now be at the heart of a brand-new project due to be completed by 2027. The redevelopment plans include a brand-new luxury hotel with an attractive rooftop and a shopping mall (on the first floor) in the first tower. As for the second tower, more than 800 student housing units are to be built. Just as the Pleyel tower in Saint-Denis has been transformed into a 4**** hotel, the Mercuriales towers are set to undergo a radical transformation with this new project, scheduled for completion in 2027.