Edificio de la Industria – Chile’s first skyscraper
When Edificio de La Industria first opened in 1994, it was the tallest building in Chile. In a country where earthquakes are a common occurrence, buildings in Chile were traditionally conservative in height – but La Industria changed all that.
La Industria was the Chilean capital’s first skyscraper – standing 120 meters tall, with 32 floors, it changed Santiago’s skyline in more ways than one. With its unique triangular floor plan and rigid central core strengthened with reinforced steel – providing both strength and a level of flexibility to cope with the area’s seismic activity – it showed that buildings could safely reach for the sky.
"It was a building that transformed the concept of what could be done in the city," explains Alejandro Cáceres, Head of Modernizations in Chile. "La Industria set the precedent for high-tech modern office buildings in the city." In the 30 years since La Industria opened, skyscrapers have started to grow around it to the extent that the financial district it’s located in has become known locally as "Sanhattan" – in a nod to New York’s businessdistrict, Manhattan.
Core responsibilities
The entrance to the building is no less spectacular than its exterior – with a large, naturally lit atrium. Inside, two banks of four elevators form its central core. To keep people moving quickly and efficiently throughout the building, our team recently modernized these eight elevators – replacing them with four Schindler 5000s and four Schindler 7000s. All our units comply with Chile’s strict seismic guidelines for buildings – including control options to stop the elevators safely during an earthquake.
The new elevators are coordinated by our state-of-the-art transit management system, Schindler PORT. With in-depth traffic analysis and scheduling, Schindler PORT minimizes waiting times and provides excellent efficiency and speed for all passengers moving throughout the building.
Luis Gracia, Real Estate Manager of CBRE, who manages the property, only had positive things to say about the upgrade. "The modernized system shows our commitment to our tenants and to sustainability. The Schindler team understood the needs of both the building and its users," he says. "Knowing how important the elevators are in keeping the building in full operation, they worked hard to maintain maximum operational capacity at all times while the work was underway."
As the building was in full operation throughout the modernization project, our team deployed Schindler PORT Overlay – a system used to minimize disruption by coordinating existing elevators to maximize their performance while they get an upgrade. Schindler Overlay works first by installing Schindler PORT over the old elevator controls, immediately improving efficiency and reducing wait times The building then continues operating with these optimized older elevators while modernization proceeds one elevator at a time, ensuring seven remained in service at anygiven time.
"These measures help ensure a smooth and efficient flow of people throughout the building," says Alejandro. "The new elevators, used together with Schindler PORT, have also helped to significantly reduce the energy consumption compared to the old system."
Dolis Hernandez, our Commercial Executive in charge of the project, also emphasizes the importance of keeping the client informed throughout the process: "Modernization projects always require clear communication with all parties involved. It’s a working site, not just for our team but for the tenants in the building, so we need to keep everyone informed as the project progresses."
A clear overview
Our team also installed Schindler Lobby Vision – our supervisory monitoring system for elevators and escalators – which provides real-time performance and location updates on our units. With all the elevators connected to the system, it means they can be monitored around the clock.
"Schindler Lobby Vision provides a clear understanding of what’s going on," says Alejandro. "If something isn’t working as it should be, Schinder Lobby Vision allows us to pinpoint what’s happening and address the issue."
Our team also provided ongoing technical training to the building management to help them gain a better understanding of the new equipment and ensure they benefit from all the system has to offer.
"While La Industria is no longer the tallest building in the city, its legacy is undeniable," says Alejandro. "And it also continues to set the standards for vertical mobility and tenant satisfaction."