Perret tower (Grenoble)

Last updated

Perret tower
La Tour Perret
GRENOBLE15.JPG
Perret tower (Grenoble)
General information
Statusinterior closed to the public since 1960
Location Grenoble, Paul Mistral park, France
Coordinates 45°11′05″N5°44′07″E / 45.18472°N 5.735280°E / 45.18472; 5.735280
Groundbreaking20 May 1924
Completed4 May 1925 (11 months)
Opening6 September 1925, by Prime Minister Paul Painlevé, Edouard Herriot and André Hesse
Cost385,000 FRF (in 1924) [1] [2]
Owner Grenoble city
Height
Antenna spire108 metres (354 ft)
Roof95 metres (312 ft)
Technical details
Floor countGround floor and 3 patios [3]
Lifts/elevators2
Design and construction
Architect(s) Auguste and Gustave Perret
Engineer Auguste Perret

The Perret tower, originally called La tour pour regarder les montagnes ("The tower for watching the mountains"), [4] is an observation tower located in Grenoble, in the Paul Mistral public park. It is the first tower built in reinforced concrete in Europe. [5] In 1998, it was officially declared to be a national heritage site. [6] It was built for the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism [7] where it was the orientation tower and the symbol of the exhibition. Nowadays, it is the last vestige of this exhibition. [7]

Contents

Architecture

Perret tower stands 95 metres (312 ft) tall. Its section is octagonal. Its foundations are 15 metres (49 ft) long, [8] made of 72 vertical stakes in reinforced concrete [8] gathered at the top by a slab and placed on a hard gravel layer. The framework is compound of eight vertical poles. [6] The tower diameter is 8 metres (26 ft) at the base. [9] The last floor is reachable by helical stairs (visible in the top openwork part) or by lift. [6]

Auguste Perret, with the assistance of Marie Dormoy, art critic, came to Grenoble for two years, to do conferences and meet political and artistic circles in order to promote a "reinforced concrete order"; a reference to the antique orders.

Made of the first reinforced concrete, the tower is also the first free-standing project made by Auguste Perret, its architect.

The tower is the sum of an architectural and structural thought particularly modern and exact. It is a reinforced concrete structure whose formworks are modular and repetitive, and the prefabricated fillings are re-used from the "Notre-Dame du Raincy" church. Despite criticism during its construction, it was later deemed a success and cost half as much as the other edifices of the exhibition.

It is also called the orientation tower, not because the four cardinal directions are molded at its top but because an orientation table sought by the Touring club de France, encircles it at the 60 metres (200 ft) level. This orientation table allowed tourists to locate the surrounding mountains with the pleasure to show a unique panorama on the Alps [6] and Grenoble because its height is about the same as the three towers of the Île Verte in Grenoble.

History

Poster of the PLM railway company for the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism in 1925: at the centre the Perret tower, on the right tourism palace, on the left the railway and tourism industry palace along the Jean Pain boulevard Expo8-Grenoble.jpg
Poster of the PLM railway company for the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism in 1925: at the centre the Perret tower, on the right tourism palace, on the left the railway and tourism industry palace along the Jean Pain boulevard

It was erected from 20 May 1924 to 4 May 1925 by the architect Auguste Perret who won a competition sponsored by the city for the exhibition, which took place between 21 May and 25 October 1925. The International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism focused on the production, transport and broadcast of electricity as well as tourism which was the No. 2 economic resource in the Alps at the beginning of the century. During the exhibition, a floodlight was installed at the top to light the buildings. [10]

On 6 September 1925, the exhibition was opened by Prime Minister Paul Painlevé, Édouard Herriot and André Hesse. The same day, more than 2,000 visitors reached the top of the tower by using the two elevators which drop them off to the orientation platform located at 60 metres (200 ft) height. [10] At lunch, Herriot and Hesse went down last and got stuck in an elevator, and the tower staff did not notice, creating some panic among the police services. [10]

The International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism was a success. More than one million persons came to the city of 85,000 inhabitants, which got benefits in spite of the huge works undertaken.

In 1929, an antenna was installed [10] at the top of the tower to broadcast radio programmes of the channel "Alpes-Grenoble". [11]

Nowadays, Perret Tower is the only remnant of the exhibition. This tower allowed Perret to prove the huge ability of reinforced concrete and make him famous as a great architect.

Today

In 1960, the tower was closed to the public due to its degradation. [12] In 1998, it was officially declared to be a national heritage site. [6] Currently, the top of the tower is illuminated during the winter and is used as a support for the fireworks of the 14th of July.

No serious maintenance was made after the exhibition, and the tower degradation might become irreversible: iron frameworks are unsheathed or broken and oxidization of the iron framework leads the reinforced concrete to crumble. In 1951, a facade screed was made (not efficient for life span). [13] In 2005, a study by Alain Tillier, chief architect of the national heritage sites, estimated the restoration cost at 4.5 million euros. No work was done, and the tower degradation got worse. In 2012, the Mouton study evaluated the cost at 6 million euros (inside and outside), of which 60% could be supported by a grant from the French government and from the local administrative department (Isère) because the tower is a national heritage site. [14] In these studies, the restoration includes the reopening to public as well as an upgrade to security standards.

The 12 September 2013, the petition "Save the Perret tower" was introduced. [15] It got more than 500 signatures during the first week and some local newspapers publicized the information. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

The 6 February 2014, the organisation "Ensemble pour la Tour Perret" ("Together for the Perret tower") was created to promote protection and restoration of the Perret tower, to publicize its history and its heritage interest and to ensure and contribute to its promotion. [13]

During the municipal elections in March 2014, some parties promised to act for the tower restoration: the list "Croire en Grenoble" (UMP, UDI, AEI), [21] [13] the list "Imagine Grenoble" (Modem), [22] [13] the list " Aimer Grenoble pour vous" (PS, PCF, Cap21, MRC, PRG, GE, GO Citoyenneté), [23] [13] and the list "Grenoble une ville pour tous" (EELV, PG, Les Alternatifs, GA, ADES, Réseau Citoyen). [24] [13]

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenoble</span> Prefecture and commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Grenoble is the prefecture and largest city of the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the capital of the Dauphiné historical province and lies where the river Drac flows into the Isère at the foot of the French Alps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auguste Perret</span> French architect

Auguste Perret was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the Church of Notre-Dame du Raincy (1922–23); the Mobilier National in Paris (1937); and the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council building in Paris (1937–39). After World War II he designed a group of buildings in the centre of the port city of Le Havre, including St. Joseph's Church, Le Havre, to replace buildings destroyed by bombing during World War II. His reconstruction of the city is now a World Heritage Site for its exceptional urban planning and architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenoble Foot 38</span> Football club

Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble or GF38, is a French association football club based in Grenoble. The club plays its home matches at the Stade des Alpes, a sports complex based in the heart of the city, and wears white and blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villard-de-Lans</span> Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Villard-de-Lans is a commune in the Isère department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. The town is also situated in the Vercors Massif. It was the administrative centre of the eponymous canton until the departmental elections of 2015. After the elections, Villard-de-Lans and the communes of its former canton were all incorporated into the new canton of Fontaine-Vercors. The town remains the seat of the Community of Communes in the Vercors Massif (CCMV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Béton brut</span> Raw (unfinished) concrete

Béton brut is a French term that translates in English to “raw concrete”. The term is used to describe concrete that is left unfinished after being cast, displaying the patterns and seams imprinted on it by the formwork. Béton brut is not a material itself, but rather an architectural expression of concrete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autrans</span> Part of Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Autrans is a former commune in the Isère department in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Autrans-Méaudre-en-Vercors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Église Notre-Dame du Raincy</span>

The Église Notre-Dame du Raincy is a Roman Catholic church in the commune of Le Raincy near Paris. It was built in 1922-23 by the French architects Auguste Perret and Gustave Perret. The edifice is considered a monument of modernism in architecture, using reinforced concrete in a manner that expresses the possibilities of the new material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation à Grenoble</span>

The Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Isère is a museum located in Grenoble, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musée dauphinois</span>

The Musée dauphinois, located in Grenoble (France), is dedicated to the ethnography, archaeology, history and society of the former province of the Dauphiné. Situated above the neighbourhood of Saint-Laurent in the listed historic monument of Sainte-Marie d’en-Haut, the Musée dauphinois is an accredited “Musée de France“ and takes part in the Long Night of Museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Grenoble</span> Art museum, in place Lavalette Grenoble

The Museum of Grenoble is a municipal museum of Fine Arts and antiquities in the city of Grenoble in the Isère region of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism</span>

The International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism was an exhibition which ran from May 21 to October 25, 1925 in the city of Grenoble in France, in order to promote the city as the capital of "white coal", as hydropower was then known. This exhibition gave credit to the people of Grenoble in general, and the industrialist Aristide Bergès in particular, for harnessing the driving force of water rushing down from the mountains. This was also an opportunity for Grenoble to celebrate the new industries of tomorrow. Suggested by Paul Mistral, the mayor of Grenoble, the project was backed immediately by the support of Léon Perrier, president of the General Council of the Isère. Hydroelectricity is at the center of Grenoble's economic development.

Historically, centenarian floods did extensive damage in the Isere valley. In October 1859, it rained continuously for five days. A warm wind melted the snow, and the temperature suddenly increased from 12 to 19 degrees on 2 November. The simultaneity of those two events resulted in an exceptional flood. In a single night, the water in Grenoble rose at a rate of 15 to 20 cm per hour.

Gustaaf Paul Robert Magnel was a Belgian engineer and professor at Ghent University, known for his expertise regarding reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Mistral Park</span>

Paul Mistral Park is an urban park located in Grenoble. It is 67 acres and it holds important sporting facilities and the city hall. Placed inside an old military engineering ground, it was created thanks to the International Exhibition of Hydropower and Tourism which took place in 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Éric Piolle</span> French politician

Éric Piolle is a French politician of Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV) who has been serving as mayor of Grenoble since 2014. . He was Regional Councillor of Rhône-Alpes from March 2010 to April 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musée de l'Ancien Évêché</span>

The Musée de l'Ancien Évêché is a departmental museum located in Grenoble, France and dedicated to the Isère heritage through the history of its Bishop's palace. Inaugurated in 1998, it is settled in the former Bishop's palace, near Grenoble Cathedral. The museum gives access to the remains of an early Christian baptistry and to a section of the vestiges of the Gallo-Roman wall in the basement of the building.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Grenoble, France.

Roberto Gargiani is an Italian architectural historian and a full professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Fontecave</span> French chemist

Marc Fontecave is a French chemist. An international specialist in bioinorganic chemistry, he currently teaches at the Collège de France in Paris, where he heads the Laboratory of Chemistry of Biological Processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri de Miffonis</span> French civil engineer that designed lighthouses in Canada

Henri de Miffonis, born as Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis, was a civil engineer. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France and died in Canada in 1955. Miffonis specialized in the construction of lighthouses. He studied in civil engineering at the University of Paris. In 1905, after obtaining his diploma, he accepted an offer of employment with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada for work with the Commission des phares, newly created. Miffonis' work was supervised by the Chief Engineer of the Commission, William Patrick Anderson, a fervent promoter of reinforced concrete in the construction of lighthouses.

References

  1. ↑ (in French) Faisons de la tour Perret un chantier pilote ! Archived 22 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine GRE City Local News, 18 September 2013
  2. ↑ Cédric Avenier (May 2013). CRAterre éditions (ed.). L'ordre du béton (in French). Grenoble. p. 27.
  3. ↑ (in French) La tour Perret Archived 22 October 2013 at archive.today
  4. ↑ Cédric Avenier (May 2013). L'ordre du béton (in French). Grenoble: CRAterre éditions. p. 43.
  5. ↑ (in French) Tour Perret - Grenoble Archived 10 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine patrimoine-en-isère.fr
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Base Mérimée : PA00117204 , Ministère français de la Culture. (in French) Tour Perret, située dans le parc Paul-Mistral
  7. 1 2 (in French) Modern and contemporary heritage Archived 16 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  8. 1 2 Cédric Avenier (May 2013). L'ordre du béton (in French). Grenoble: CRAterre éditions. p. 33.
  9. ↑ Cédric Avenier (May 2013). L'ordre du béton (in French). Grenoble: CRAterre éditions. p. 31.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Cédric Avenier (May 2013). L'ordre du béton (in French). Grenoble: CRAterre éditions. p. 37.
  11. ↑ (in French) Alpes-Grenoble
  12. ↑ La tour Perret en quelques dates Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine sur City Local News : « 1960 [...] il est décidé de fermer l’édifice au public, l’escalier et les ascenseurs étant devenus quasiment impraticables. »
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 (in French) Blog Sauvons la tour Perret. Pétition pour la sauvegarde de la tour
  14. ↑ Blog Sauvons la tour Perret
  15. ↑ Sauvons la tour Perret de Grenoble sur www.petitions24.net
  16. ↑ Grenoble: une pétition pour "sauver la Tour Perret" Le Dauphiné Libéré, 17 septembre 2013
  17. ↑ Une pétition pour "sauver la tour Perret" Archived 22 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine GRE City Local News, 18 septembre 2013
  18. ↑ Il faut sauver la Tour Perret 20 minutes, 19 septembre 2013
  19. ↑ Tour Perret : la polemique relancée Place GRE'NET, 19 septembre 2013
  20. ↑ Pétition "Sauvons la tour Perret" Fédération des Associations Patrimoniales de l'Isère (FAPI)
  21. ↑ (in French) Liste Croire en Grenoble (UMP, UDI, AEI), Matthieu Chamussy, Voir p. 4 et p. 11
  22. ↑ (in French) Liste Imagine Grenoble (Modem), Philippe de Longevialle, Voir p. 7 Archived 26 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ (in French) Liste Aimer Grenoble pour vous (PS, PCF, Cap21, MRC, PRG, GE, GO Citoyenneté), Jérôme Safar, Voir p. 42 Archived 26 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ (in French) Liste Grenoble une ville pour tous (EELV, PG, Les Alternatifs, GA, ADES, Réseau Citoyen), Éric Piolle, Voir point 87
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.