Exaltis Tower
Exaltis is a 15-story building that completes the axis of the Avenue Gambetta in the La Defense section of Paris. Conceived as a tower of glistening glass, Exaltis defines the axis of the avenue and replaces a grim gray viaduct. The tower is flanked on one side by a landscaped plaza and on the other by a linear park.
Along the avenue a monumental glass wall is modulated by the regular cadence of tall slender circular columns that march along the facade and act as oversized lanterns. Across from them along the core, two curved surfaces, one in frosted glass and the other in black granite, meet at a midpoint. A monumental two-level lobby receives visitors. This lobby stretches the entire length of the building. Grand stairs connect the two levels establishing a sculptural presence.
In form, the building is a rectangular prism modified and sculpted by the introduction of two curves along its short facades. These curving surfaces transform the rigid rectangles into a fluid form. The two curves radiate from different points somewhere below the ground and splay as they rise towards the sky. The two end walls present contrasting forms, one convex and the other concave. The result is a building with dynamic quality, implying horizontal movement along the axis of the avenue, as if sailing towards the esplanade propelled by an imaginary force.
