French singer Vianney has confirmed for the first time that he invested in several units covering 80% of the 43rd floor of Paris’s Montparnasse Tower. Speaking to Le Parisien, he said the deal took place but was abandoned after about a month because of concerns over the safety of the equipment.
“I always dreamed of creating a music studio in the air,” Vianney said, explaining that he had been attracted by the idea of working in a space with a view of the sky. He said he wanted to welcome many people there, but quickly realised that the environment was not suited to him.
The singer, who is promoting his fifth album, Les Évadés, described himself as a travelling artist surrounded by people handling projects of a much larger financial scale. The investment was completed in April through Edmond de Vayres, a company owned by Maison Bleue, of which Vianney is the sole shareholder.
Vianney had previously denied the reports and declined to discuss the matter during an interview with Le Figaro on October 28. In May, his agent said the singer did not have enough money to make such an acquisition. However, a letter from the tower’s property manager later confirmed the investment and indicated that it represented about 2% of the building, the capital’s tallest after the Eiffel Tower.
The project ultimately ended after Edmond de Vayres was sold to businessman Frédéric Lemos, who already owned 20% of the 43rd floor. Lemos subsequently became the owner of the entire floor and is the tower’s largest co-owner, with 30% of the building’s ownership shares.
Sources: Le Figaro.