Glorieta Cibeles Tower

The Glorieta Cibeles Tower is a complete up-cycle of a 1979 74m tall and slender 18 story office structure that had been abandoned and deemed unsafe after the historic 1985 earthquake; it is located at the Cibeles fountain rotunda in the Roma neighborhood, one of the most emblematic and historic areas of the city with an eclectic mix of architecture. The transformation comprised 4 fundamental axes: aesthetic and tectonic design; structure and resilience; comfort and functionality; and sustainability, considering both operational and embodied energy. The tower is designed as a sculptural inhabitable obelisk. We took advantage of the site’s pentagonal shape to detonate its main edge towards the rotunda 10m above its previous total height, then dropping the facade towards its back edge to create a new exiting profile that engages in a dialogue with the city’s skyline, reinforcing the location importance within the city. The facade is elegant and timeless incorporating a highly efficient double glazing. The reflectiveness gives the Tower an illusory quality; it stands out revitalizing, simultaneously blending in with its surrounding, thoughtful and respectful of the site. For the renovation we first had to deal with structural concerns utilizing an array of strategies. First, we had to fix the Tower’s 60cm tilt toward the east, subsequently adding an additional 33 new pilings. Above ground, we regularized its shape to avoid frame distortions during earthquakes. We then reinforced the existing structure utilizing steel bracing and concrete rejuvenating epoxy injections. Finally, we incorporated 4 viscous structural dampers at each floor that reduced up to 60% of earthquake strength. This allowed us to even remove a column that hindered interior spaces deriving in a a radical change from its foundation upward, something totally unseen in a seismic location like Mexico City. The core was redesign and relocated to its eastern side resulting in greater open floors with expansive panoramic views and natural light in all directions, larger spacious elevators and a sculptural staircase, creating a comfortable greatly improved interior mobility and quality. The new lobby became a double height, light-filled welcoming space with a reflective ceiling and beautiful bookcase marble finish that contrasts with its gilded ever-present structural counterparts. The tower is crowned by lush green roof gardens of imposing vegetation and a pleasant microclimate that serve as unique relaxing spaces, representing over a third of the total plot space. Added to the incredible high complexity, we strived to achieve the outmost possible sustainability. The tower is Leed Platinum certified achieving 36.5% in total energy, 56% in artificial lighting, 67% in HVAC and 41% in water savings; additionally, by recycling the structure, a 50% reduction in embodied carbon was accomplished. It is also a transit oriented development. Our intervention demonstrates that old deteriorated structures can be revitalized while exceeding all the current requirements of comfort, efficiency, sustainability, resiliency and flexibility expected from a new building, becoming an example of responsible and innovative architecture and development. The result is a icon of urban recovery.