View source for Tour First

{{Short description|Office skyscraper in Courbevoie, in La Défense}}
{{Infobox building
| building_name   = Tour First
| image           = Tour First - La Defense - Inauguration 6 mai 2011.jpg
| caption         = 
| former_name     = Tour AXA<br>Tour UAP<br>Tour Assur<br>CB31
| location        = 1 Place des Saisons<br>[[La Défense]], [[Courbevoie]], [[France]]
| coordinates     = {{coord|48.8889|2.2517|region:FR-75_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| start_date      = 
| completion_date = 1974
| renovation_date = 2007 –2011
| status          = Complete
| building_type   = Commercial offices
| architectural_style = [[Modern architecture|Modernism]]
| antenna_spire   = {{convert|231|m|abbr=on}} 
| roof            = {{convert|225|m|abbr=on}}
| floor_count     = 52
| elevator_count  = 28 
| cost            = 
| floor_area      = {{convert|86,707|m2|abbr=on}}
| architect       = Michel Stenzel<br>Pierre Dufau<br>Jean-Pierre Dacbert
| ren_architect   = [[Kohn Pedersen Fox|Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates]] <br>SRA Architects
| engineer        = Iosis Bâtiments
| main_contractor = GFC + Bouygues
| developer       = 
| owner           = [[Beacon Capital Partners]]
| management      = 
| references      = <ref>{{CTBUH|993||3 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/110514 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008123746/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/110514 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 8, 2015 |title=3 August 2012 |work=[[Emporis]]}}</ref><ref>{{SkyscraperPage|56433||3 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Structurae|20004710||3 August 2012}}</ref>
|website = {{URL|https://www.kpf.com/project/tour-first}}
}}
{{stack|}}

'''Tour First''' (previously known as '''Tour UAP''' between 1974 and 1998, and as '''Tour Axa''' between 1998 and 2007) is an office [[skyscraper]] in [[Courbevoie]], in [[La Défense]], the business district of the [[Paris]] [[aire urbaine|metropolitan area]].

The tower was built in 1974 by [[Bouygues]] for the UAP insurance company. The building was {{convert|159|m|abbr=on}} at that time. Its ground shape was in the form of a three-pointed star whose branches were separated each by a 120° angle. This particular shape was chosen to symbolize the merger of the three French insurance companies that were at the origin of UAP. The tower was renamed Tour Axa when UAP was bought by the [[Axa]] insurance company in 1996.

Large-scale renovation of the tower began in 2007 and was completed in 2011. The exterior appearance of the building was completely changed, with extra height added to the tower. The renovated tower, now known as Tour First, is {{convert|225|m|abbr=on}} at roof height, and {{convert|231|m|abbr=on}} including its spire, with a total floor space of {{convert|86,707|m2|abbr=on}}. It is currently the tallest skyscraper in France, only surpassed in height by the [[Eiffel Tower]].

Another [[Axa Equitable Center|Axa tower]] exists in [[New York City]], [[United States|US]], which is 228.6&nbsp;m (751&nbsp;ft) tall; [[2020 Robert-Bourassa|Tour AXA]] in [[Montreal, Quebec]], [[Canada]] was completed in 1974 and is {{convert|104|m|abbr=on}}.

== See also ==
* [[La Défense]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the Paris region]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in France]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050906232001/http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/O0019023.html Tour First] (Insecula)

{{La Défense}}
{{Courbevoie}}
{{Buildings in France timeline}}
{{Beacon Capital Partners}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:First}}
[[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in La Défense]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1974]]
[[Category:Kohn Pedersen Fox buildings]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 2011]]
[[Category:21st-century architecture in France]]