The Colon Towers from Madrid turn 50, a perfect age to have a facelift. That's why, Mutua Madrileña, the owner of the property since 1995, has presented a project by the architect louis vidal, to make this building a new emblem of the city.
The building was built according to the suspended building system designed by the engineer Javier Manterola, and the architect in charge of carrying it out was Antonio Lamela. Lamela himself participated in the renovation that it already underwent in the 90s, when the central emergency staircase, the famous green “plug” that crowns the building and a new orange façade were added.
In 2012 it underwent another facelift, this time to renew the double cabin elevators, the common areas, the escalators and the glass box. Some of these elements will change or disappear, among other things because “architecture, like cities, evolve and must adapt to new norms and new styles of living,” they say. Mutua Madrileña.
The Colon Towers of the 21st century will be at the forefront of environmental care, it will become the first high-rise office building in Spain considered Almost Zero Consumption Building, 100% of the energy consumed will be of renewable origin and 10% of what is consumed will be self-generated in the towers themselves.
The proposal states that the height and buildability will be maintained, but action will be taken on the elements that define its suspended character, giving them a visibility that they do not have right now. The space for pedestrians will be expanded, it will have a “well” rating and, in short, it will project a renewed image of the Madrid city Colon Square.
At a structural level, of the Colon Towers The original internal structure will be respected and reinforced, improving current security, accessibility and efficiencies. The braces that actually support the building will be reinforced, as well as the core and foundation of the towers. The “plug” will be removed next to the staircase and the famous “orange skin”, two of the lower floors will be relocated to the upper area and the towers will be given, ultimately, a new skin.
As for the floors, the elevators will be removed from the cores, placing them outside, the stairs will be placed inside the cores and in this way the towers will be provided with better and greater interconnection. The result? A building with new and reinforced characteristics, connected and integrated into the city, and that will set an example of Madrid of the 21st century: innovative, technical, iconic, sustainable, efficient and durable.
From De Salas, we toast to those 50 years of the Torres Colón, and we wish it to endure and continue to be part of the city skyline, another 50 years, at least.
Gala Mora
DESALAS Lifestyle
