Torre Ejecutiva Pemex
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| Torre Ejecutiva Pemex | |
|---|---|
 Torre Ejecutiva Pemex in December 2006 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Mexico City |
| Coordinates | 19°26′21″N 99°10′29″W / 19.4391°N 99.1748°W |
| Construction started | 1976 |
| Completed | 1982 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 214 m (702 ft) |
| Roof | 211.3 m (693 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 54 |
| Floor area | 165.000 m² |
| Lifts/elevators | 27 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Pedro Moctezuma Díaz Infante[1] |
| Developer | Robledo Construcciones e Instalaciones S.A de C.V. |
The Pemex Executive Tower (Template:Lang-es) is a skyscraper in Mexico City. The 214 meter (211 meters to top floor) international style tower was built between 1976 and 1982. Since the building's opening, it has been occupied by state-owned Pemex, one of the largest petroleum companies in the world.
History
The Torre Ejecutiva Pemex originally proposed to replace two 14-story towers built between 1967 and 1970. Later, these buildings were replaced by a pair of 26-story towers to house Pemex's administrative offices. However, the 1980s oil boom demanded office space growth and Pemex decided to build a single 52-story tower in a downtown lot with a huge plaza covering an underground avenue. The building is anchored to the ground, rests on 164 concrete and steel piles that penetrate to a depth of 35 meters surpassing the old filling swampy lake to reach firmer ground. In addition, its x-braced structure features 90 shock-absorbers to minimize oscillations from earthquakes. The tower was completed in 1982, but the surrounding plaza was never completed.
The Torre Ejecutiva Pemex remained the tallest building in Mexico for almost 20 years,[1] until August 2003, when the 55-story Torre Mayor was completed only half a mile away. Currently, the Torre Pemex is the third tallest building in Mexico, and the second tallest in Mexico City. The tower is currently occupied by approximately 7,000 Pemex employees.
On 19 September 1985, the tower withstood a magnitude 8.1 earthquake, as well as other strong earthquakes that commonly strike Mexico City. The building was designed to withstand an earthquake of 8.5 on the Richter scale.
January 2013 explosion
On January 31, 2013, a powerful explosion rocked the tower, claiming 37 lives and injuring approximately 126. The explosion is believed to have occurred in the basement of the building's link to an adjacent building (which took the most damage). A gas leak and following accumulation ignited by sparks is believed to be the cause of the explosion. Employees said that the Torre Ejecutiva swayed and vibrated for a few seconds.[2]
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References
- ^ a b "Edificio antisismos: La Torre Ejecutiva Pemex fue el primer edificio "inteligente" de México". El Mañana (in Spanish). 1 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
- ^ "Mexico blast kills at least 35, flagging Pemex safety woes". Reuters. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
External links
