VIDEO. We visited one of the tallest wooden residential towers in Europe, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

The "Wood Up" tower, inaugurated last June, is one of the tallest wooden residential towers in Europe. It stands 50 meters tall, has 16 floors, 132 apartments, 9,000 m² of living space, and two communal terraces. Franceinfo takes you on a tour.

The "Wood up" tower is the tallest wooden residential tower in Paris. Located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, between the ring road, Ivry-sur-Seine, and the François Mitterrand library, it was inaugurated in June 2025, a little less than three years after construction began. " One of the big challenges we faced was demonstrating that we were capable of building a tower out of beech ," says Paul Jarquin, president of REI Habitat, the project's developer. It was necessary to prove " scientifically that beech is a good building material, " he continues.

Beech is the second most abundant species in French forests, behind oak. And this species is endangered in many regions of France due to global warming. " Adapting the forest means cutting down trees so they don't wither and die in the forest, and therefore using them in buildings, for example. There, they store carbon over the long term ," explains the developer.

According to the designers, the use of 387 m³ of wood (beech, spruce, Douglas fir) reduces the carbon footprint of the construction by more than 60% compared to using concrete alone. This French wood is certified sustainable by PEFC France. For Christine de Neuville, president of PEFC France, wood has other virtues: " Letting structures show is a decarbonization issue, it's an aesthetic issue, and it's a well-being issue. Wood is good for human beings ."

On the 14th floor is one of the two most beautiful of the tower's 132 apartments. In this 125 m² duplex, with triple exposure, including one overlooking the Paris ring road, the quality of the accommodations is immediately evident. But so too is the exposure to noise and air pollution.

Its price: 1,844,000 euros. That's 14,700 euros per m2. Across the entire tower, the average price per square meter is 12,000 euros. For rentals, managed by the real estate company Gecina, you'll need to expect at least 1,200 euros per month for a 50 m2 apartment.