Soaring above the vibrant heart of Mexico City, close to the intersection between Avenida Insurgentes and Avenida Chapultepec, stands a recently-constructed tower building that is intended to serve as a driver of economic growth. The building is strategically located at a nerve centre and major transport hub of Mexico’s capital and stands out in particular for its iconic configuration and topography.
Designed by Mexican architects Sholem and Yoram Cimet, Torre Glorieta 20 epitomises the process of urban regeneration that has transformed Mexico’s capital after years of decay, finally enabling the area to fulfil its potential through targeted interventions and huge private and government investments.
The tower rises 26 storeys to a height of 118 metres and extends over a floor area of 60,000 square metres. It consists mainly of offices and has an eco-friendly architectural structure that attains excellent standards of energy saving, in particular the exacting requirements of LEED Platinum certification.
The structure has a distinctive inwardly-arching shape that appears to visually embrace the surrounding area and its complex, irregular urban fabric.
The triple-height lobby with its striking nocturnal lighting is directly accessible from the nearby public transport stop by means of a walkway surrounded by vegetation.
Further value is added by the presence of a double-height multifunctional auditorium intended for multiple uses.
Maximum comfort in all interior spaces is guaranteed by the 360 degree panoramic view and the natural light filtering in through the low-emissivity glass facades.
The roof garden
Alongside the structure stands an 8-storey car park with a 900 square metre roof garden.
The primary requirement when creating the raised outdoor area was to choose highly durable products capable of withstanding the wear that inevitably occurs in external spaces. In particular, the waterproofing solutions from Hydrotech-USA guarantee a lifetime of around 50 years, while the raised floor was built using systems supplied by Belgian firm Buzon Pedestal International, including around 7,000 PB* series screwjack pedestals with heights of between 15 and 485 mm. These pedestals are particularly suitable for use on terraces thanks to the exclusive BC-PH5 slope corrector, which is capable of compensating for slopes of between 0 and 5%.
The polypropylene pedestals guarantee high dimensional stability, a long lifetime and maximum resistance to weathering and UV radiation. In the Torre Glorieta project, they were used to support 2 cm thick exterior porcelain pavers extending along all the roof garden walkways and paved areas, creating an aesthetic result that is consistent with the location and the high visual quality of the entire area.
* BUZON PB SERIES PEDESTALS
The PB Series pedestals are specially designed for accessible terraces and have screw supports for precise height adjustment from 28 to 965 mm.
They are ideal for raised floors on roofs (directly above the waterproofing), terraces, balconies, roof gardens, flat roofs consisting of ceramic panels or slabs of minimum thickness 20 mm or natural or composite wood planks.
The system is also suitable for swimming pool surrounds, podiums and raised access floors in general.
The following special pieces can be applied to the PB Series pedestals:
- BC-PH5 patented slope corrector, which can be positioned under the base of the pedestal to compensate for slopes from 0 to 5%
- 1 and 2 mm pure EPDM rubber leveller to be placed between the foot and the slab with a non-slip and anti-noise function.
First invented by Claude Buzon in 1987 (the company will be celebrating its 30th anniversary next year), Buzon pedestals have evolved constantly over the years to meet the needs of architects and to offer the maximum design freedom.
Sold in more than 40 countries, Buzon pedestals come in 3 different series. In addition to the PB series, the range also includes the BC series and the DPH series, the only one with slope corrector integrated into the head.
The services offered to professionals include technical support, CAD design and on-site training during start-up.
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Read the Torre Glorieta article on Tile International 2/2016: