The Glorieta Cibeles Tower is a complete up-cycle of a structure abandoned and deemed unsafe after the historic 1985 earthquake. Designed as a sculptural inhabitable obelisk, the transformation comprised four fundamental axes: structure and resilience; comfort and functionality; aesthetic and tectonic design; and sustainability, in operational and embodied energy.
Structurally, 4 viscous structural dampers were incorporated at each floor, reducing up to 60% of earthquake strength. The core was redesigned and relocated cantilevered to its eastern side resulting in greater open floors and more comfortable and greatly improved interior mobility and quality. The renovated tower is Leed Platinum certified, achieving a 36.5% in total energy, 56% in artificial lighting, 67% in HVAC and 41% in water savings; additionally, by recycling the structure a 50% reduction in embodied carbon was accomplished.
The intervention demonstrated that old deteriorated structures can be revitalized while exceeding all the current requirements of comfort, efficiency, sustainability, resiliency and flexibility, becoming an example of urban recovery and renewal.
Bio Cimet Arquitectos is a vertically integrated architecture firm, spanning the built environment process from development to architectural design, and from construction to property management.
We believe in creating rich spatial experiences to enhance people's lives by creating a positive impact on our built environment. We strive to create elegant and timeless design through the principles of comfort, occupant experience, functionality, sustainability and energy efficiency, transportation-oriented development, seismic resilience, construction quality, material quality, and ease of maintenance
Other prizes We have won various awards including the: WAN, Architecture Masterprize, BLT Awards, The Architect's Newspaper, A' Design Awards, CTBUH Awards, Titan Property Awards, among others
