World’s largest steel maker ArcelorMittal is supplying steel for one of the first steel-framed skyscrapers in France, which is scheduled to be completed next year.
“ArcelorMittal is supplying 4,200 tonnes steel for the D2 Tower, the first steel-framed tower in Paris’ business district of La Defense, and one of the first steel-framed skyscrapers in France,” the company has said.
Once completed, the skyscraper will stand 171 metres tall with 37 floors, and is set to become one of the La Defense’s most striking office buildings.
“The tower’s external ‘diagrid’ structure will give the building a diamond-like shine, with thousands of diamond-shaped windows reflecting the daylight to create a unique lighting effect,” the steel giant said in a statement.
“The 50,000 sq.m building is due to be completed in 2014,” it added.
The Tower is part of a bigger urban renewal project underway in the French business district.
The material supplied by the company includes 3,000 tonnes of jumbo beams from its facilities in Differdange, Luxembourg and 1,200 tonnes of cellular beams from company’s commercial sections entity ‘Eurostructures’, also located in Luxembourg.
The company said the first batch of steel was delivered in the first quarter of 2012, with the final delivery due in the first quarter of this year.
A key element of the project’s success was the collaboration between Long Carbon Europe’s (LCE’s) sales teams, LCE’s technical advisory team, Eurostructures’ beam-finishing, and Distribution Solutions Construction’s promotion team, the company said.
The skyscraper was designed by architect Anthony Bu in collaboration with fellow architect, Tom Sheehan.
“Using steel allowed the architects to use 30 per cent less material compared to other structural solutions, a saving which has contributed to improving the tower’s environmental footprint,” the company said.