Ten weeks since we last checked in at the site of Tour Saint-Gobain in Paris' La Défense, and progress has been swift, the 38-storey office tower today only awaiting its cap ahead of structural completion. Designed by Valode & Pistre Architects for Generali Group and Hines, Tour Saint-Gobain's lattice-work exterior and signature, multi-storey glass cube that will soon adorn the peak of the tower, will eventually combine to make this a standout project for the architecturally-rich area. 

Tour Saint-Gobain, awaiting its cap, image by Forum contributor Vincent !

Set to be poised above the main tower, the cube will be home to an airy, vegetation-filled observation deck, the base of which can be seen emerging from the current "top" of the structure (below). The cube will give visitors the illusion of floating in a climate controlled greenhouse, the 165-metre tower to provide observers with panoramic views of the city. 

Core emerging from "top" of the tower, image by Forum contributor Vincent !

Just below the cube, the tower itself will not be devoid of interesting visual cues, the exterior's lattice-work appliqué giving the project a thoroughly modern look. Down below, the tower will meet the street with a large public realm element in the form of a concrete staircase and forecourt with direct pedestrian connections to the local street network. 

Tour Saint-Gobain, night shot, image by Forum contributor Vincent !

Tour Saint-Gobain is scheduled for completion by mid-2019, the tower to become the daytime home for 2,200 employees and support staff. Once complete, the project will add to the area's urban vibrancy, this being one of the city's main goals for softening La Défense often harsh, modernist aesthetic and functionality. 

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.