Torre Entel

토레 엔텔

Torre Entel is a 127-meter telecommunications tower in Santiago, Chile. It was inaugurated in 1974 after construction that began on July 1, 1970. It has 18 floors, an observation deck, and for many years it was the tallest building in Chile. Its first television transmissions went out in 1976.

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At a glance

Country: Chile
Location: Santiago, Chile
Built: 1974
Height: 127 m
Type: Tower

Quick answers

Where is Torre Entel?

Torre Entel is in Santiago, Chile.

When was Torre Entel built?

Torre Entel was built in 1974.

How tall is Torre Entel?

Torre Entel is about 127 m tall.

A 127 m telecommunications tower from 1974 and a downtown Santiago icon, famous for the New Year's Eve fireworks launched from it.

Its design represents a torch, an ancient form of long-distance communication. Today it is a symbol of Santiago, seen on postcards and used by locals as a landmark. It was finished on 30 August 1974 and is next to the La Moneda metro station. It stands one block from La Moneda Palace and next to a metro station, and it weighs about 8,620 tonnes.

How it works

The tower was built as the center of the country's telecommunications. In 1975 two satellite dishes were installed, and on April 12, 1976 the telephone channels began to work. It connected Entel's telephone, television, radio and microwave services with the rest of Chile and with the province of Mendoza in Argentina. Its structure was influenced by the Post Office Tower in London.

A tower of lights

On New Year's Eve in 2009 a 320-square-meter LED screen, the largest in South America, was installed at the top. The tower is next to Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins and one block from La Moneda Palace. It held the national height record until the 143-meter Telefónica Tower opened in 1996.

The tower by the numbers

The shaft is 22 metres across and made from about 2,700 cubic metres of concrete, with steel and aluminium too. The whole tower weighs 8,620 tonnes and its foundation another 2,000 tonnes. Entel's tower sits at a spot chosen because many connections to the city phone network were close by. It is located at the corner of the Alameda and Amunátegui streets in central Santiago. In late 2019, during protests in Chile, its base was vandalised.

Fun facts

The tower is shaped like a torch.
It has been Chile's tallest structure from 1974 to 1996.
A 320-square-meter LED screen sits at its top.
The tower's first telecom connections linked Entel's phone, TV, radio and microwave networks with the rest of Chile.