Torre Colpatria
| Torre Colpatria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office, observation |
| Location | Bogotá, Colombia |
| Construction started | 1973 |
| Completed | 1978 |
| Opening | August 1978 |
| Owner | Grupo Empresarial Colpatria |
| Height | |
| Roof | 196 m (643 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 48 |
| Lifts/elevators | 13 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Obregón Valenzuela & Cía. Ltda. |
| Main contractor | Pizano Pradilla Caro & Restrepo Ltda. |
Torre Colpatria (Colpatria Tower) is a 50-story skyscraper located at the downtown area in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the second tallest building in the country and the fifth-tallest in South America. It was constructed from 1978 to 1979, and has a total height of 196 metres (643 ft). The main headquarters of Colpatria Bank are located in the building, and also a great number of other banks and financial corporations have offices in it. The building lies at the intersection of 26th street and 7th avenue, in the heart of the city's downtown.
Since 1998 the Colpatria Tower is illuminated every night with thirty-six color changing Xenon lights. But, in 2012, the dutch lighting company Philips replaced the old lights with a 120-meters-high LED system to improve the lighting of the building and project high-definition images.[1]
The building is a landmark in the country, and it dominates Bogota's skyline along with other structures such as the BD Bacatá, the World Trade Center, FONADE and Colseguros buildings.
On weekends and holidays, the top floor is open to visitors, where a cafeteria and a lookout are located.
Colpatria Tower was to be surpassed as the tallest building in Colombia by a new 206m tall apartment tower that was being built in the city of Cartagena, but that project came to an end after its structure was bent during a series of tremendous winds in 2007 so the city ordered it dismantled. However, in 2014, The BD Bacata complex, in Bogota, with 260 m, will be tallest building in Colombia, and the Colpatria Tower will be on Third Place in the tallest buildings, after the two towers of the complex.
Architecture
The base of the tower is a square, constructed at the juncture of two of the most important avenues in Bogota. The building's facade comprises pilasters of concrete and vertical glazing bars, extending unbroken from ground level to the building's roof. The feature provides ventilation and natural light to offices.
The Torre Colpatria's complex includes a separate ten-floor building, built to give contrast to the main tower's height. There are several public and commercial banking offices, as well as parking facilities.
The tower sports an observation deck on the 49th floor, open to visitors on weekends and holidays. Both its central location in Bogota and its height make the Torre Colpatria one of the city's most important observatories.
Stats
- Height: 196 m (643 ft)
- Floor Count: 49
- Top Floor: 48
- Capacity : 5.000
Competition
Since 2005, on December 8, takes places the race to climb the nine hundred eighty steps up, where participants, in groups of ten competitors, start every half minute. The record time is 5 minutes 11 seconds. This race is included on the Towerrunning 2011, and it's the final race of this year.
| Year Built | Companies | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Colpatria Bank | Bogotá, Colombia |
Gallery
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Bogotá downtown view from the Colpatria tower
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Colpatria Tower at night
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Illumination with the Colombian flag's colors
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Colpatria Tower at night
References
Coordinates: 4°36′40″N 74°04′13″W / 4.611040°N 74.070288°W