Torre Ejecutiva Pemex

The Pemex Executive Tower (Spanish: Torre Ejecutiva Pemex) is a skyscraper in Mexico City. The 214-metre (702 ft) (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.

Pemex Executive Tower
Torre Ejecutiva Pemex
Torre Ejecutiva Pemex in December 2006
General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice
LocationMexico City
Coordinates19.4391°N 99.1748°W / 19.4391; -99.1748
Construction started1976
Completed1982
Height
Antenna spire214 m (702 ft)
Roof211.3 m (693 ft)
Technical details
Floor count54
Floor area165.000 m2 (1,776.05 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators27
Design and construction
ArchitectPedro Moctezuma Díaz Infante[1]
DeveloperRobledo Construcciones e Instalaciones S.A de C.V.

History

The Pemex Executive Tower 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 Pemex Executive Tower 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. As of January 2018, the Torre Pemex is the sixth tallest building in Mexico, and the fourth 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
Main article: Torre Ejecutiva Pemex 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]

  • Pemex Executive Tower
  • Pemex Tower at night

References
  1. "Edificio antisismos: La Torre Ejecutiva Pemex fue el primer edificio "inteligente" de México". El Mañana (in Spanish). 1 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  2. "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.
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