Torre Mayor
Encyclopedia
The Torre Mayor is a skyscraper
in Mexico City
, United Mexican States. With a height of 225 metres (740 feet) to the top floor and 55 storeys, it's the second tallest building in Latin America
, surpassed by Ocean Two
in Panama City
with 236 metres. Torre Mayor surpassed in 2003 the 220 metre (724 feet) high towers of Parque Central Complex
in Caracas
(Venezuela
), which were the tallest buildings in Latin America since 1999. The Torre Mayor was developed by Canadian businessman Paul Reichmann
, who also maintains part ownership. It is also part-owned by a group of institutional investors. The building was designed by the architectural firms of Zeidler Partnership Architects and Executive Architects Adamson Associates Architects, both of Toronto.
Located at Paseo de la Reforma
, it was built by Canadian-owned Reichmann International on the former location of the Cine Chapultepec. Construction work began in 1999 and was finished in late 2003. Due to Mexico City
's high propensity to earthquake
s, the tower incorporates several anti-earthquake measures. In fact, this building shares the title of the strongest (in matter of pro-earthquake engineering) building on Earth alongside U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
, California
. The Torre Mayor building is designed to withstand an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter Scale, compared to the U.S. Bank Tower that can withstand an 8.3-intensity earthquake.
damage occurred, It was built with 96 dampers, which work like car shock absorber
s to block the resonating effect of the lakebed and its own height. These diamond-shaped dampers are seen architecturally on its perimeter. With this extra-bracing, this tower can withstand earthquake forces nearly four times as efficiently as a conventionally damped building. The dampening system proved its worth in January 2003, a 7.6 earthquake
shook the city. Not only did the building survive undamaged, occupants inside at the time did not know a tremor had occurred.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, United Mexican States. With a height of 225 metres (740 feet) to the top floor and 55 storeys, it's the second tallest building in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, surpassed by Ocean Two
Ocean Two
Ocean Two is a skyscraper being built in the Costa del Este district of Panama City, Panama. Construction commenced in 2006 and is expected to be completed in 2010...
in Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
with 236 metres. Torre Mayor surpassed in 2003 the 220 metre (724 feet) high towers of Parque Central Complex
Parque Central Complex
The Parque Central Complex is a housing, commercial and cultural development, implemented by Centro Simón Bolívar and located in the urbanization of the county in the center of the city of Caracas, Venezuela adjacent to Paseo Vargas....
in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
(Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
), which were the tallest buildings in Latin America since 1999. The Torre Mayor was developed by Canadian businessman Paul Reichmann
Paul Reichmann
Paul Reichmann is a Canadian businessman best known for his leadership of the Olympia & York a real estate development company.-Formative years:Reichmann was born in Vienna in 1930 to Samuel Reichmann, a wealthy egg merchant and his wife René...
, who also maintains part ownership. It is also part-owned by a group of institutional investors. The building was designed by the architectural firms of Zeidler Partnership Architects and Executive Architects Adamson Associates Architects, both of Toronto.
Located at Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs in a straight line, cutting diagonally across Mexico City. It was designed by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig in the 1860s and modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as Vienna's Ringstrasse or the Champs-Élysées in Paris...
, it was built by Canadian-owned Reichmann International on the former location of the Cine Chapultepec. Construction work began in 1999 and was finished in late 2003. Due to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
's high propensity to earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s, the tower incorporates several anti-earthquake measures. In fact, this building shares the title of the strongest (in matter of pro-earthquake engineering) building on Earth alongside U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The Torre Mayor building is designed to withstand an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter Scale, compared to the U.S. Bank Tower that can withstand an 8.3-intensity earthquake.
Earthquake resistance
The Torre Mayor stands on the lakebed area where most of the 1985 earthquake1985 Mexico City earthquake
The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck Mexico City on the early morning of 19 September 1985 at around 7:19 AM , caused the deaths of at least 10,000 people and serious damage to the greater Mexico City Area. The complete seismic event...
damage occurred, It was built with 96 dampers, which work like car shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s to block the resonating effect of the lakebed and its own height. These diamond-shaped dampers are seen architecturally on its perimeter. With this extra-bracing, this tower can withstand earthquake forces nearly four times as efficiently as a conventionally damped building. The dampening system proved its worth in January 2003, a 7.6 earthquake
2003 Colima earthquake
The 2003 Colima earthquake occurred on 21 January, and registered a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was located on the Pacific coast, in the Mexican state of Colima...
shook the city. Not only did the building survive undamaged, occupants inside at the time did not know a tremor had occurred.
Explosive device
On Friday, 31 August 2007, a homemade explosive device attached to a cell phone was found in a car parked in the building. The device was removed without incident after an anonymous phone tip prompted the authorities to evacuate 10,000 people from the building.External links
- http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=372
- Torre Mayor web site
- Torre Mayor on Emporis
- WSP Group - project page dedicated to Torre Mayor