The Hermitage Plaza in Paris

Hermitage Plaza, a new development in the Parisian neighborhood of La Défense, was granted planning permission by French authorities in May 2012. Introduced to the world by British architect Norman Foster in 2009, it comprises 2 skyscrapers, one of which is expected to be 1,050 ft high with 93 floors. The development will include two towers as well as multiple shops, cafes and a public plaza. The towers will beat the still under construction Shard tower in London to become the tallest buildings in Europe. The Hermitage Plaza that is being spearheaded by Russian real estate developer Emin Iskenderov of the Hermitage Group is estimated to cost $2.88 billion. Iskenderov aims to transform the urbane-office landscape of La Defense into more than just another pretty Parisian background. The idea is to be able to offer connoisseurs in Paris, a taste of Manhattan mixed with Parisian finesse. The project is slated to be completed by 2017.