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Torre Picasso

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Torre Picasso
Map
General information
LocationPablo Picasso Square, Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain
Coordinates40°27′01″N 3°41′33″W / 40.45028°N 3.69250°W / 40.45028; -3.69250
OwnerFomento de Construcciones y Contratas[3]
ManagementPER Gestora Inmobiliaria, S.L.[3]
Height
Roof157 m (515 ft)[1]
Top floor43[2]
Technical details
Floor count51[1]
Floor area121,000 m2 (1,302,000 sq ft)[1]
Lifts/elevators26[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Minoru Yamasaki; in collaboration with Jorge Mir Valls and Rafael Coll Pujol[3]

Torre Picasso (Picasso Tower) is a skyscraper in Madrid, Spain. From 1988 till 2007 it was the highest building in Madrid with its 157 m (515 ft) and 43 floors[1]. Torre Picasso is located next to the Pablo Picasso Square, within the commercial complex AZCA along the Paseo de la Castellana. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki.

History

Planning & Construction

The Torre Picasso was part of a plan to build a huge block of modern buildings in the expansion area of northern Madrid. This commercial area is better known as A.Z.C.A., for which constructions started in 1970. Five years later in 1975 planning of the tower was agreed. Unión de Explosivos Río Tinto, S.A., owner of the site, awarded the construction of the tower to American architect Minoru Yamakasi, in collaboration with architects Jorge Mir Valls and Rafael Coll Pujol. In 1980 Minoru Yamakasi received the license for building the highest office complex of Madrid.[3]

Construction began late 1982, and the building was inaugurated in December 1988. During this period some unfortunate events happened and work was relaunched in 1985 by the new owners Portland Valderrivas S.A. and Inmobiliaria Asón S.A., under the direction of Architect Fernando Alas.[3]

Torre Picasso was constructed by and is currently the property of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas[4]. It is currently managed by PER Gestora Inmobiliaria, S.L.[3]

Skyline position

Since its inauguration, Torre Picasso has been Madrid's tallest office building, surpassing Torre de Madrid. However, the Torrespaña, a television tower, reaches higher with its 231 m (757.87 ft). Notable surrounding skyscrapers are Torre Europa, Torre del Banco de Bilbao and Windsor Tower, now demolished after a fire.

Since 2007, the Torre Espacio surpassed the Picasso Tower[5]. Three other buildings are on their way to even go higher in 2008: Torre Caja Madrid, Torre de Cristal and Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso.

The Torre Picasso was also Spain's tallest building until in 2001 it was overtaken by the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.[4]

Events

  • Shortly after 9/11, ETA confirmed that in 1999 they had planned to demolish this skyscraper using the 1,700 kg of explosives loaded into two Madrid-bound vans intercepted that year near Calatayud (Zaragoza) by the Spanish Civil Guard (the first stopped en route on December 21st and the second found not far from there the next day; an incident known as "la caravana de la muerte", the caravan of death).[6]

Height

  • Height: 157 m (515 ft) above ground (171 m above the lowest basement)
  • Floors: 43 inhabitable floors above ground (ground-floor hall, 42 office floors), 5 basements, 2 upper floors for machinery
  • Area: 71,700 m² office space (121,000 m² total)
  • Size per floor: 38 m x 50 m
  • Elevators: 26 (18 to office floors in 3 groups of 6: 1st-18th floors at 2.5 m/s; 18th-32nd floors at 4 m/s; 32nd-43rd floors at 6 m/s)
  • Parking space: 837
  • Foreseen population: 6,000 persons
  • Daily visitors: 1,500 persons

Architecture

A notable feature of Torre Picasso is the wide entrance arch, supporting the whole façade over it, with an underground steel structure serving to reinforce it. The gap under this arch is covered by a special security glass named STADIP (the one used in Torre Agbar in Barcelona).

In August 2004, the Otis Elevator Company was awarded a contract to modernise the elevators in the building, to incorporate some of the most advanced elevator technology available.[7]

Cultural depictions

  • The entrance arch
    The entrance arch

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Official website - Facts about Torre Picasso
  2. ^ Official website - Architecture of Torre Picasso
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Official website - History of Torre Picasso
  4. ^ a b Torre Picasso at Emporis
  5. ^ Emporis Torre Espacio facts
  6. ^ Terra article
  7. ^ Otis press release
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torre Picasso.

40°27′01″N 3°41′33″W / 40.45028°N 3.69250°W / 40.45028; -3.69250

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