One deviation that comes to mind and smack in the center of town would be Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou[1]), which is a very massive, very modernist building, surr

One deviation that comes to mind and smack in the center of town would be Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou[1]), which is a very massive, very modernist building, surrounded by some of the oldest parts of the city. The canopy at Les Halles also pretty much puts a stop to the rumour that new, massive constructions are not possible in Paris, let alone in the center of Paris. Granted, context certainly matters and Beaubourg was, charitably put, rather controversial when it was under construction, but it's absolutely not a given that no renewal is possible. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Georges_Pompidou https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Georges_Pompidou [2] https://www.citylab.com/design/2015/05/paris-the-canopy-fix/394337/ https://www.citylab.com/design/2015/05/paris-the-canopy-fix/...