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SkyriseCities headquarters is closed for the holidays. We'll be back with our regularly scheduled editorial on January 4th, but we've collected skyscraper visions from around the world to give you something to read while we're away.
For a city of 880,000 people, Panama City boasts an impressive number of highrises that contribute to a dense skyline. Many of the newest buildings to grace the cityscape are condominium towers situated on the seaside edge of the city. Proposed in 2010, Torre Financiera would have added a new landmark skyscraper to the Panama capital, but plans for the complex have been suspended.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill were the original architects engaged in the design of the tower, but it subsequently fell in the lap of local firm Mallol & Mallol. The 70-storey proposal would have housed government offices, additional private office space, and hotel rooms. Though a little more grounded in reality than our previous visionary profiles, the tower would have commanded a strong presence and become the tallest building in Latin America.
The design invokes the meeting of cultures, continents, and oceans with a vertical expression seemingly blending two towers together. Said to represent the length of the Panama Canal locks, the tower rises to 320 metres, good enough to achieve supertall status. A 107-metre spire symbolizing the third recently expanded set of locks tops off the building. At ground level, an illuminated promenade would link to a future Metro station.
The project was originally proposed for land on Avenida Balboa which was occupied by the United States Embassy. The controversial demolition of that building led to immense public hostility aimed at Torre Financiera, which would now be located elsewhere if it is ever constructed.
What do you think of Torre Financiera Panama? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
