Edificio Corcuera, Commercial building on Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City, Mexico.
Edificio Corcuera was a commercial building on Paseo de la Reforma with 16 floors rising to about 125 meters tall. A large tire advertisement for BF Goodrich crowned its rooftop and was visible across the city.
The building sustained damage from a major earthquake in 1957 and became the site of Mexico's first engineered demolition in 1958. This controlled destruction was a landmark moment that demonstrated new techniques for urban reconstruction.
Locals called this building El Internacional because a bank occupied its lower floors for many years. The nickname stuck among residents long before the official name became common knowledge.
The original building no longer exists as it was completely demolished, so visitors cannot enter it. Today visitors can see the modern hotel that now stands at this location along the Paseo de la Reforma.
The demolition required about 40 specialized workers and careful engineering to keep the busy Paseo de la Reforma safe during the process. It was one of the first controlled demolitions of a tall building in Latin America at that time.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
