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Origin and history

The Albert Tower, also known as the Croulebarbe Tower or Mercier Tower, is a 23-storey, 67-metre high residential building located at 33 rue Croulebarbe in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Built between 1958 and 1960 by architect Édouard Albert, in collaboration with Robert Boileau and Jacques Henri-Labourdette, it marks history as the first skyscrapers of housing in the French capital. Its modern architectural style, with a tubular steel and concrete structure, distinguishes it from the surrounding buildings.

The tower is part of an abandoned urban project aimed at connecting Rue Croulebarbe to Avenue de la Sister-Rosalie via a bridge, refused by RATP. Despite its inclusion in the additional inventory of historical monuments in 1994, some of its original features, such as translucent allegations, were changed. A terrace on the 6th floor, decorated with a fresco by Jacques Lagrange, had to be accessible to the public but remained closed due to the abandonment of the bridge project.

Restored in 2005 by Gorka Piqueras, the Albert Tower experienced a renewed interest in real estate in the 2010s, with prices exceeding 9,000 euros per square metre in 2017. It also appears in the film Plaire, Love and Run Fast (2018), where a 22nd floor apartment serves as a decor. Its architecture, with stainless steel panels and cross braces of St Andrew, reflects the technical innovation of its time.

Accessible by Les Gobelins metro stations (line 7) and Corvisart (line 6), the Albert Tower embodies a period of urban transformation in Paris. His inscription as a historic monument, initiated by Anne Coutine (daughter of Édouard Albert), underscores his heritage importance. The structure, partially visible on the façade, recalls Albert's other achievements, such as the Jussieu campus.

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