Gate of Europe, Twin office skyscrapers in Plaza de Castilla, Madrid, Spain
The Gate of Europe consists of two identical office towers, each standing 114 meters tall and leaning toward each other at a 15-degree angle over Plaza de Castilla. Both buildings are designed as functional business skyscrapers, with the western tower featuring a blue helipad and the eastern tower a red one.
The Kuwait Investment Office commissioned these towers in 1989, initially naming them Torres KIO before their completion in 1996. Architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed them as the first tilted skyscrapers ever built worldwide.
The towers mark the northern gateway to the Spanish capital and locals often refer to them as the Gate to Europe. Their tilted stance makes them an instant landmark for visitors arriving from the airport or from the north, reaching the modern cityscape.
The towers are visible from street level, with their tilted form best appreciated from the central Plaza de Castilla. Both are office buildings, so public access is limited to the surrounding areas, but their exterior architecture remains visible around the clock.
Each tower contains 26 floors served by eight elevators specifically engineered for the tilted structure. The different colored helipads help pilots distinguish between the two towers when approaching the building from the air.
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