Torre Reforma: 2016 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and Torre Reforma in Mexico City was selected as the 2016 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The 246-meter office tower is formed by two exposed concrete walls that meet like the covers of an open book. A third, glazed elevation faces the city and completes the triangular floor plan. The walls act as structure and facade, with large openings arranged to dissipate energy during an earthquake.

A protected house from 1929 is incorporated at the base and gives the tower a small-scale entrance on Paseo de la Reforma. Column-free office floors can be reorganized as tenant needs change, while rainwater and wastewater systems reduce demand on municipal supplies. The award recognizes a building that turns its earthquake-resistant concrete walls into architecture and allows a historic house to keep its place on the avenue.

Architect: LBR&A Arquitectos