|
Considered for many years the tallest building in
Mexico and Latin America, the Latin-American Tower
is a great pride for the inhabitants of Mexico City
as it broke many records in engineering during its
construction using Mexican technology, and has also
resisted the strong earthquakes of 1957 and 1985.
Today, in spite of the fact that it’s not the
tallest building anymore having been surpassed by
the Pemex Tower, the World Trade Center and most
recently the Mayor Tower, the Latin-American Tower
still has a special place among the inhabitants as
it is the classic skyscraper of the city and one of
the most important urban landmarks.
The construction of the Latin-American Tower began
in 1949 and was concluded 7 years later in 1956,
when it was inaugurated on April 30th of
the same year. During this period, several factors
were considered for the building’s foundation which
were new for the time, but were necessary as it’s
located in a seismic zone; a rail system was
installed which would protect the structure from any
damage. A year after it was finished the building
passed the test as it was unharmed by the earthquake
that hit in 1957, which won it an award as the
tallest building that had resisted an earthquake of
this magnitude. Later on, it passed a similar test
in 1985 which was a reason for pride in Mexican
engineering.
This skyscraper has 43 office floors and an antenna
from which radio and television signals are
transmitted. It also has a belvedere on its last
three floors where one can get an excellent view of
the city.
. |
