The TDF (Télé Diffusion de France) tower in Les Lilas is a real landmark on the north-eastern Paris skyline, intriguing people and frequently appearing on social networks. Its retro-futuristic silhouette sometimes gives rise to wild speculation about its function... But what is the role and history of the Tour de Romainville?
visual : Tour TDF - © Jean-Philippe Dollet - DCOMDRONE
The television broadcasting tower is called the Tour de Romainville because it is located within the walls of the Fort de Romainville in Les Lilas. The site was chosen for its altitude. It is the highest point in the department (131m). It was also chosen for its secure location within the fort.
Its construction was decided at the end of the 70s to replace the Buttes-Chaumont network head-end, which was too weak to broadcast the many new TV and radio channels.
Construction was spread over several years, and the site went into service on July 1, 1986. The site took a long time to build, due to technical constraints and, in particular, the nature of the soil. It took as much concrete to pour the foundations as it did to build the tower!
Architect Claude Vasconi was awarded the Grand Prix National d'Architecture in 1986. In 2018, through the DRAC d'Île-de-France, the French Ministry of Culture awarded the TDF Tower the "Remarkable Contemporary Architecture" label.
The presence of the tower has led to the fort's inclusion on the national directory of sensitive points, as a "category 1 mixed PS", under the supervision of the Prime Minister.
The main function of the Romainville radio tower - actually located in Les Lilas - is to broadcast television, radio, telecoms and the Internet.
The TDF tower has several roles: radio site, audiovisual signal routing and processing center, IT center directly connected to the broadcast networks, and the heart of TDF operations. The radio tower is also used to display real-time RATP bus timetables at bus stops.
The Les Lilas radio tower comprises a truncated cone-shaped base, a 107m tower and three circular platforms housing offices and technical rooms. A fourth platform houses the antennas and the walkway. The TDF tower is 143 metres high. The top platform is 97.95 m high. The tower mast contains the stairs and elevator. The shaft has a diameter of 10 meters.
Discover a walk from Paris 19 to Les Lilas (french language) to discover the area where the Hertzian tower is located.
The fort is likely to organize visits in anticipation of work on a memorial to women resistance fighters. On hold as no dates have yet been set. Communication will follow.
Getting there
Serge Gainsbourg