Torre Latinoamericana, Skyscraper and observation deck in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City
Torre Latinoamericana is a skyscraper with an observation deck in Historic Downtown Mexico City, rising 44 stories above street level. Seven elevators transport visitors and office workers vertically through the steel-frame structure, which now serves as both office building and tourist attraction.
Construction began in February 1948 on the site of Moctezuma II's former animal house and later the Convent of San Francisco. Engineers Leonardo and Adolfo Zeevaert drove 361 piles to 33 meters in the muddy subsoil, and the tower opened on April 30, 1956, as the tallest building in Latin America.
The tower is named after La Latinoamericana, Seguros, S.A., the insurance company founded on April 30, 1906, that commissioned it and occupied floors 4 to 8 from 1956. The 44th-floor observation deck, the city's highest until 2004, was remodeled in 2006 along with a site museum.
The upper floor offers a full circle view of the metropolitan area, and access is available through tickets purchased on site. Those comfortable with heights will find the platform gives a wide overview of surrounding streets and buildings.
The steel framework withstood two major earthquakes in 1985 and 2017 without serious damage, while neighboring buildings partially collapsed. Engineers from around the world later studied the foundation and flexible construction, which serve as a model for earthquake-resistant design.
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