Through its subsidiaries GFC Construction (based in Lyons) and Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France, Bouygues Construction has signed a contract for construction of a building complex in Lyons which will include the city’s second-tallest skyscraper: the Oxygène Tower. The contract worth more than 100 million euros was signed by SCI Tour Oxygène ⁽¹⁾ and the consortium of which GFC Construction is the lead firm.

Standing 115 metres tall in the heart of the Part-Dieu business district, the 28 floor tower will be the second-highest in Lyons, after the Crédit Lyonnais building (162 m; known as "Le Crayon"). Designed by architectural firm Arte Charpentier, the Oxygène building will provide 29,500 m² of office space. To improve energy performance, it will have ventilated double-skin façades and most of the offices will benefit from natural daylighting.

Under the same contract, Bouygues Construction will also build an extension to the Part-Dieu shopping centre called "Cours Oxygène". The extra 15,000 m² of floor space will take the total sales area to more than 125,000 m², making the shopping centre one of the largest in Europe. The work is to be carried out immediately adjacent to the existing commercial facility without interrupting business.

The entire project is to take 32 months (handover in the first quarter of 2010) and will call for the commitment of close to 300 site workers at peak times. Very special logistics arrangements will have to be made because of the constraints of the urban location (cramped site and presence of an operating shopping centre alongside).

This contract confirms recognition of Bouygues Construction knowhow in the construction of tall buildings, both in France and internationally. The Group has been highly involved in the La Défense business district near Paris where it recently handed over the Exaltis and Vista buildings and where it is currently working on the T1 tower. On the international front, it is involved in one of the tallest three buildings in Bangkok (Thailand), the Sail@MarinaBay buildings in Singapore, the International Waterfront project in Trinidad & Tobago, and the Hyatt hotel in Ekaterinburg (Russia).

⁽¹⁾ SCI Tour Oxygène comprises Sogelym Steiner and SAS Vivier Merle Bonnel Oxygène.