No paran las sorpresas...!
"will rise to almost 200 metres"
Gracias Geo.
Mexico City Gets Rocky Skyscrapers
Published on 2007-07-30
www.skyscrapernews.com
Mexico is set to be the next location for yet another Skidmore Owings and Merrill project, this time called City Santa Fe in Mexico City.
Part of a large scale development by GICSA, Mexico's leading real estate developers of a wider area, the plan is for two towers, one slightly taller than the other for use as hotel and residential purposes.
Sited on a cliff edge of a now abandoned quarry currently being redeveloped the towers will form a gateway to the development. Designed to appear to be rising from the quarry itself as geological features with warm brownish red rock, the towers will be supported by solid metre thick concrete walls which
will rise to almost 200 metres, making them some of the tallest walls ever to be poured on a site. In order to increase stability the towers will bend around a courtyard space at the base of these monolithic structures - this also serves to maximise views from the towers by extending the aspects available.
At key points in the sheer walls fissures will be cut to form 5 storey high windows to the interior of the towers, the fissures will decrease vertically becoming narrow bands of glazing that will aid natural light to filter through to the corridor that will run along the interior edge that the sheer walls will create.
Access to hotels and condominiums will be through this corridor and once inside residents and patrons will be met by floor to ceiling glazing affording breath taking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and Mexican landscape.
As the towers cut back to each define their courtyard spaces a large public plaza space will be created. This will also feature a quarried pedestrian pathway traversing the 30 metre drop to the residential development below.
All the towers in the development (a total of 10) will be connected to a series of landscaped gardens, viewing platforms, and even what the architects have dubbed a "private cliff" continuing the geological ideas they are playing with.
The sky-bridge will be accessible from the towers courtyards. This bridge will also serve as a private connection for residents and patrons of the hotel to facilities including a spa, gym and pool that will be carved into the base of the taller of the two towers.
The total area of the project approximately 75,000 square metres excluding parking areas, the taller tower will comprise of the 120 room luxury hotel as well as 77 condominiums whilst the smaller tower will hold the remaining 190 condominiums.