Les Mercuriales


Les Mercuriales are twin towers in Bagnolet, along the Boulevard Peripherique, in Paris, France. They were built in 1975, and are named Levant and Ponant.

Description

These towers were part of a larger project in the business district of eastern Paris, designed to rebalance the western district La Defense. This project was interrupted by the first oil crisis, leaving the isolated towers on the A3 motorway interchange.
Not counting the antennas, the towers are the third highest in the Seine-Saint-Denis administrative division, behind Tour Pleyel and behind the Tour La Villette. Including the antennas, the West Tower is the highest in Seine-Saint-Denis with a peak at about 175m, while the East Tower is the second highest at 141m.

Design and construction

At the top of the towers are two antennas. One is administered by TDF and the other by TowerCast. These transmitters generate radio interference affecting 40 000 households.