History:
It was designed by the brothers Julián and José María Otamendi Machimbarrena as a commission from the Metropolitan Real Estate Company , for whom they had already built the España Building . Precisely next to the latter, and on the site delimited by the northwest side of Plaza de España and the beginning of Calle Princesa, the new construction would be built.
The Otamendi project also contemplated that the building would house 500 shops, spacious galleries, a hotel, and even a cinema. In addition, the tower was equipped with twelve elevators of the fastest model of the time, which allowed it to travel three and a half meters per second. The works of the first phase ended on October 15, 1957. The following year the second began, and the works were finally finished in 1960. They were successful.
The Torre de Madrid was for a few years the tallest concrete building in the world, and until the end of the Torrespaña telecommunications tower (1982), the tallest construction in Spain. Also, the tallest building in the European Union until 1967, a decade after the conclusion of its first phase, when it was surpassed by the Zuidetoren ( Brussels , Belgium ), with its 142 meters high. At present it has an antenna with which it reaches 162 meters in height.
La Torre appeared in numerous Spanish and European films of the 1960s . Likewise, the Spanish techno-pop duo Azul y Negro composed and recorded a song entitled "La torre de Madrid" which was included in their first album, The Age of Colors .
Description:
Description
Due to its central location (near the end of Gran Vía street ), the Torre de Madrid has been an emblematic building of the city. Together with the 117-meter España Building , also located in the Plaza de España, they form an interesting architectural complex. Both are protected by the City Council of the capital.
It houses both homes and offices. As for the latter, it is a characteristic function of the buildings in the area in which it is located, such as those on Gran Vía street. However, its height is notably greater than that of the latter, most of them built to early twentieth century , and that do not exceed one hundred meters. Contrary to what happens, for example, with those located in the financial district of AZCA , in the district of Tetuán .
On April 28, 2005, the Torre de Madrid was put up for sale by the real estate company Metrovacesa together with the Edificio España to pay for part of the acquisition of the French company Gecina . The price was about 400 million euros. The sale did not go through.
After an important interior and exterior renovation, in 2012, the central and upper part of the Torre de Madrid (floors 10 to 32), is entirely dedicated to private homes, under the community of owners. The four-star Barceló Torre de Madrid hotel is located on the first nine floors.
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