Toulouse: why the Occitanie Tower is slow to come out of the ground
Philippe Journo, reiterates his desire to carry out his tower project in Matabiau, accomplished by the legal recourse of opponents, who evoke a “backdated project” and “oversized”. The promoter of the future skyscraper, which according to him represents “an ambition for Toulouse”, evokes the financing concerns that this delay is likely to cause due to the current economic situation.
When the Eiffel Tower project was launched for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889, celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution, the battle was fierce between supporters and opponents. Among the indomitable detractors of the “300 meter tower” (its initial name) were big names such as the writer Guy de Maupassant. No one today is calling for the destruction of the “Iron Lady” which has become the fourth most visited monument in France, a symbol of Paris throughout the world.
All things considered, the Tour Occitanie, the project for Toulouse’s first skyscraper which is to culminate at a height of 150 m above the Matabiau station and the Jaurès “ramblas”, vice indeed a similar project to elevate the Pink City to the rank of an international metropolis through audacious architecture.
Godfathers and a good fairy
This was at least the initial will of the sponsors who looked at the Occitanie Tower (first name of the tower, quickly Occitanized and refrancized) during its presentation, in March 2017, to the big world of real estate during Mipim of Cannes. A new fairy has since been added, in the person of Carole Delga: “I am for La Tour Occitanie”, declared the president of the region in front of an audience of town planners from all over France (La Dépêche of 15 October 2022). Jean-Luc Moudenc, mayor of Toulouse, Philippe Journo, promoter of the project, the SNCF, owner of the plot, and Daniel Libeskind, the American architect of the Tower (author in particular of the new World Trade Center in New York and the Jewish museum of Berlin) extolled the qualities of this spiral of green and glass rolling up from the emerald ribbon of the nearby Canal du Midi. Taking to the Toulouse skies, hitherto reserved solely for the exploits of Aéropostale pioneers, Airbus or Concorde pilots and Ariane Espace rockets powered by fuel manufactured in Toulouse. It was to be the first vegetated tower, with its hanging gardens and its various and numerous plant species. Some were already imagining the view of the Pyrenees from the panoramic restaurant and the rooftop lounge bar.
Appeal to the Council of State and economic crisis
An “ecological” character quickly criticized by the opponents of the project grouped in the collective “No to the skyscraper of Toulouse-Collective for a citizen urbanism”, which vituperates the “green washing” of a “backward-looking project” and “oversized” , greedy in energy, concrete and water.
Unlike the Eiffel Tower, built in two years, the Occitanie Tower seems stuck in legal remedies and economic hazards. Five years after its presentation, despite a building permit issued by the City of Toulouse in July 2019, the Toulouse Tower has still not taken off.
A standstill that fuels controversy and rumors despite the statements of the Compagnie de Phalsbourg: “It is still relevant”, exclaims Philippe Journo. But no question for him to force through. The promoter has always indicated that he wants to wait until all legal remedies are purged before building the tower: “It’s a question of democracy, I respect the justice of my country”.
The future of the Toulouse skyscraper is therefore suspended by the decision of the Council of State, an appeal in cassation having been filed by the opponents against the deliberation of the Toulouse administrative court validating the building permit. The promoter recognizes, however, that the project will be more difficult to finance, citing the crisis. The investment is 150 million euros, at least. And the situation is much less favorable today than in 2019.
The dream of Icarus, dream of verticality of a Pink City hitherto so horizontal, will it fly away?
The “quack” of the Artistic Foundation
The Compagnie de Phalsbourg, promoter of the Tour Occitanie, had another emblematic project in Toulouse, that of an artistic Foundation in the former Resto U du Ramier. But, patatras, the Crous, owner of the building, had to relaunch a call for tenders, the initial project being null and void according to the public establishment, which finally retained the TFC to make in the former university restaurant Daniel Faucher its Center of Performance. “Not the best atmosphere to launch the project as oversized as that of the Occitanie tower! », Comments Richard Mébaoudj, spokesperson and president of the group of opponents to the tower project. The Compagnie de Phalsbourg had not, however, abandoned its project, according to Eric Paillot, deputy director, who had a building permit that was still valid. But the developer was slow to respond to the new call for tenders. His project was deemed out of time by the Crous…