The long-delayed renovation of Paris’s Tour Montparnasse has been shelved following a decisive vote by the building’s co-owners, raising questions about the future of the city’s tallest skyscraper in its historic central district. The 210-metre tower, which opened in 1973, has been widely criticized for its gloomy appearance and is often singled out as an eyesore on the Paris skyline.

Plans to refurbish the 59-storey building included replacing its dark facade with glass, introducing greenery throughout the structure, and creating new amenities such as a garden terrace on the 16th floor, a rooftop greenhouse, and a hotel spanning three floors. The modernization scheme aimed to not only improve the tower’s aesthetics but also invigorate the surrounding neighborhood. However, the estimated cost of the renovation, which also involved the costly removal of asbestos, escalated to roughly €800 million ($870 million), more than doubling earlier projections.

The project relied on the approval of the tower’s multiple private co-owners, including French investment funds and insurance companies. In a critical meeting held this week, over 75% of co-owners voted against proceeding with the first phase, which involved asbestos abatement, interior stripping, and partial removal of the facade. This vote occurred shortly before the expiration of the renovation permit at the end of November, effectively halting the initiative.

The tower has been vacated in anticipation of the renovations, raising concerns about safety and urban blight. Earlier in the summer, fire officials responded to incidents involving falling glass fragments striking the street below, though no injuries were reported. Local authorities have expressed frustration with the stalemate. Philippe Goujon, mayor of Paris’s 15th arrondissement where the tower is situated, called on stakeholders to reconsider, emphasizing the building’s prominence despite its unpopularity. He described the project as the culmination of a decade of effort and rejected the prospect of the landmark falling into disrepair.

Meanwhile, a group of four co-owners still supportive of renovation issued a joint statement urging all stakeholders—including financial partners and public entities—to convene and explore possible solutions for the tower’s transformation. The future of Tour Montparnasse remains uncertain as its permit deadline nears, leaving the fate of Paris’s most controversial skyscraper unresolved.