Torre Mayor

The Torre Mayor was the lone skyscraper on its end of Paseo de la Reforma for 12 long years. Today, Mexico City residents by and large give it the respect it’s due, even despite its taller and flashier neighbors.

The tower is among the most well documented of skyscrapers, in some part, because doubts existed as to whether a building of this scale could be accomplished. It was. And it was the only one for many years.

• Developed by Canadian architect, Paul Reichmann, the building is often recognized for the extreme dampening devices. These are said to ensure its ability to survive even an earthquake of 8.5 on the Richter scale.
• From 1999 to 2003, the construction took place, and notably without a single serious worker accident or death.
• 30,000 square meters of glass make up the south facade.
• About 8,000 people work in the building on any given day.
• The building’s 29 passenger elevators can reach a top speed of 6.7 meters per second.
• The height of the building is 225.4 meters, with total floor space of 157,000 square meters of which 84,135 square meters is office space.

Although the photo above shows that the neighborhood of the Torre Mayor has gotten a lot more crowded, the Torre Mayor was still the first. For many, it will stand alone as one of the true forerunners. The tower’s place in the sky is secure even while its place in the skyline gets a little harder to see.