You've probably already walked underneath it when arriving at Lille-Europe without really knowing what was hiding up there. Nicknamed "the Boot" or "the Après-ski" by locals, Lille Tower is about to undergo quite a transformation. And for the first time, its summit should become accessible to everyone.
Lille's tallest building is getting a makeover
It's hard to imagine Euralille without it. Standing above the tracks of the Lille-Europe station since the 90s, Lille Tower is instantly recognizable with its L-shaped silhouette. The building designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc reaches 116 meters high and has 19 floors, making it Lille's tallest building. Until now, the famous "Boot" was essentially reserved for offices. But thirty years after its construction, its uses are about to evolve significantly. The project, led by Linkcity, plans to preserve the structure and identity
ute; architectural character of the tower while completely rethinking its interior. And here's a rather symbolic detail: Christian de Portzamparc is himself participating in the transformation of the building he imagined three decades ago, working with the teams at 2Portzamparc.A hotel with 185 rooms will move into the "Boot"
The most spectacular change will be found in part of the floors currently occupied by offices. Lille Tower will eventually welcome a 3-star Motel One hotel with 185 rooms, directly connected to Lille-Europe station. The contract with the brand is already signed. Offices won't disappear altogether: approximately 9,000 m² will be completely renovated with brighter and more flexible spaces. Four loggias are notably planned to offer new outdoor areas. At the base of the complex, a lobby-bar of 630 m² open to all is also planned. In other words, the tower that thousands of Lille residents pass by without ever really being able to enter should become nfar less mysterious.
At the very top, a panoramic restaurant with a 360° view over Lille
But it’s probably what happens at the summit that might interest us most. The top floor will host a panoramic restaurant seating 200, also open to the public, with an announced 360-degree view over the Lille metropolis. On clear days, the panorama should even extend all the way to the Flanders hills. And there, inevitably, our curiosity is slightly piqued. Because despite its 116 meters, Lille Tower has never really been an accessible viewpoint for residents like other monuments in the city are. After three decades spent observing the Boot from Lille-Europe quay, we should finally be able to do the opposite.
A tower much more open to Lille-Europe
The transformation won’t only concern whattakes place inside. The historic hall currently closed must be completely redesigned to better open up towards the station and the neighborhood's flows. A new connection with the forecourt is planned, outdoor spaces must be enlarged and greened, and a new entrance must appear on the east facade. The idea is therefore to transform this enormous office tower into a place more connected to the neighborhood, frequented both during the week and on weekends, and both day and evening. Quite a change for a building that many Lillois know mainly as "that big shoe-shaped thing above the station."
Lille's emblematic silhouette will be preserved
Out of the question, however, to make the famous Boot disappear from the landscape. Its original structure will be preserved and the project instead plans to work on its uses and performance. Heating, air conditioning, glazing, thermal and acoustic comfort: a good part of the equipment must be modernized. The tower will notably be connected to the urban heating network and theproject aims for environmental certifications BREEAM Excellent and BBCA Renovation. A particularly significant renovation then, but one that should allow the silhouette imagined by Christian de Portzamparc to remain recognizable from every corner of Lille. Because we may have mocked its shape for thirty years, but let's admit that Euralille without its giant shoe would still be rather strange.
See you in 2029 to discover the new Lille Tower
But you'll have to wait before going for a drink over 100 meters above Lille. While the first project presentations mentioned a transformation completed by 2028, information published in July 2026 now announces a planned delivery in 2029. Building permits have already been obtained and finalized. Ultimately, Lille's tallest building will combine offices, hotel, panoramic bar and restaurant under the same roof. And for a tower that spent thirty years showing us its sole, we're rather eager to see what it's hiding way up there.