Tour Part-Dieu, Skyscraper in Part-Dieu district, Lyon, France
Tour Part-Dieu is an office building with a cylindrical shape and distinctive pointed top located in the Part-Dieu district of Lyon. The structure contains 42 floors and houses a hotel in its upper levels.
The building opened in 1977 and was the fourth tallest structure in France at that time. American architect Araldo Cossutta designed the distinctive form that has shaped Lyon's skyline ever since.
Locals call the tower "Le Crayon" because of its pencil-like silhouette, a name that has stuck for decades. This nickname shows how the building sits in people's minds as a familiar landmark they reference in conversation.
The building is accessible from street level, with public areas in the lower floors available to visitors. Note that the upper section is reserved for hotel and office staff, so access is restricted to those spaces.
The architect purposefully matched the top of the tower's peak to the roofline of the Notre-Dame de Fourvière basilica. This quiet connection ties the modern structure to one of the city's sacred landmarks.
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