Torre Latinoamericana

The Torre Latinoamericana, or Latin American Tower, is a skyscraper in the heart of Mexico City. It opened on 30 April 1956 and was the tallest completed building in Mexico for almost 27 years, until 1982, when the 214-metre Torre Ejecutiva Pemex was finished.

The tower is best known for surviving the 8.1-magnitude Mexico City earthquake of 1985 without damage, while several other buildings downtown were hurt. Its central location, height and history make it one of the city's most important landmarks. It was built to be the headquarters of the La Latinoamericana insurance company. The tower takes its name from that company.

What stood here before

The land has a long story. It was once the site of a private zoo kept by the Mexica ruler Moctezuma II. After the Spanish conquest, the Convent of San Francisco was built here. The convent was later closed and most of its property taken away. The tower was started in the late 1940s, during the post-war boom, and the insurance company moved into its 4th to 8th floors; the rest of the offices were rented out.

Tough in an earthquake

Mexico City sits on soft ground and is shaken by earthquakes. The tower's steel frame and deep foundations helped it stand through the 1985 quake. The building is about 166 metres tall by Wikipedia's measure and about 182 metres with its spire. Observation decks near the top give a wide view across the huge city. The city's soft ground makes quakes especially dangerous for tall buildings.

On the globe

The model shows the glass-and-aluminium tower with observation decks and a lattice spire.