Tears were shed when the 19th-century iron-and-glass market known as Les Halles was torn down in the early 1970's, and before long weeping resumed, first over the giant hole that scarred the heart of Paris for a decade, then over the grim multifloor shopping mall and transportation hub that eventually filled it. In this city, at least, the ugliness of Les Halles today is matched only by that of the Tour Montparnasse, the single skyscraper in central Paris. Many here would love to see both demolished. Not much can be done about the Tour Montparnasse, but Bertrand Delanoë, the first Socialist mayor of Paris, has now pledged to transform the district of Les Halles. And he has invited Parisians to study and debate four competing designs, all immensely ambitious, all calling for a radical reorganization of the area's buildings and gardens. No price tag has been set, but the city government has said it will make its choice this summer, perhaps combining elements from different proposals, with the first phase of work due for completion in 2007.
