Paris' new skyscraper looks like a robotic Christmas tree

The heights of the Eiffel Tower. The monolith of La Défense. The span of the Arc de Triomphe. All set to be eclipsed by a 180 metre tall glass triangle.

This wedge of weirdness is the Tour Triangle - a controversial building project set to become the first skyscraper built in the French capital in over 40 years.

The design of Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, whose previous works include Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' stadium, the design of Tour Triangle was rejected when it was initially proposed in November 2014, after residents feared the triangular build would overshadow existing flats in its location of Porte de Versailles on the south-west edge of Paris. The city recently changed its planning laws to allow buildings to be constructed above a height of 180 metres - a ban which had been in place after residents responded negatively to the Tour Montparnasse building, built in 1973.

Planers say that the building will "disappear" from certain angles, thanks to the thin profile of the structure, allowing a view into central Paris and unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower. Costing a cool £460 million, (London's Shard cost £435 million) it will house a 120-room hotel and 70,000 square metres of office space. 

Our thoughts? We think its a bit tri-hard.

(Images: Herzog & de Meuron)