Richard Rogers' firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Legorreta+Legorreta have completed BBVA Bancomer Headquarters in Mexico with colourful staircases and sky gardens overlooking the city and the park. The building is located on the Paseo de la Reforma, the tower marks a gateway to Chapultepec Park with its rhombus-shaped iconic structure.

The architecture aims to promote a sense of community and interaction between staff. On the ground floor, the triple-height lobby sits on the corner of Paseo de la Reforma, which links the daily operations of the bank branch with executive-level commercial businesses at higher levels. In the lobby, glass elevators face the park and will transport visitors arriving by foot, as well as the employees up to the sky lobby at level 12. 

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Mexico City is built on an ancient dried lake and is prone to severe earthquakes so an innovative engineering approach was needed to reduce the risk of tremors. A ‘fuse’ was incorporated into each of the externally expressed structural beams. Its design focuses the impact of an earthquake by absorbing the shock to protect the rest of the structure. 

This structural solution makes the tower uniquely safe for a building of its height. To combat solar gain from Mexico’s strong sunlight, a lattice façade system, (which evokes traditional screens or ‘celosias’) shades the exterior of the building allowing daylight in, and views out.

Image © Roland Halbe

The building is based on the reinterpretation of traditional office space organisation, offering a variety of new flexible working environments for all users. Sky gardens every nine floors create outdoor space within the tower and provide meeting and break-out areas where people can enjoy spectacular views. Consequently, the architecture promotes a sense of community and interaction between staff.

Image © Roland Halbe

The 50 storey tower provides approximately 78,800m² of prime office space for BBVA Bancomer and can accommodate approximately 4,500 employees. The geometry of the diagonal structure is used to create a lattice frame to protect the façade from direct light and heat from the sun. 

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

''This building is the most sophisticated, highest-quality building in Mexico. It’s a signature building for the bank, for the expansion of their business in North American markets'' says Nick Billotti, chairman of Turner International

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Image © Roland Halbe

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Image © Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Top image © Roland Halbe

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