Standing 246 meters tall, Torre Reforma not only changed the skyline of Mexico City but also redefined what a skyscraper could be in terms of design, sustainability, and safety. Built to withstand earthquakes, it won the International Highrise Award 2018/19 and was also awarded the prestigious LEED Platinum Certificate. We installed 29 elevators and four escalators in the mixed-use tower, which is home to offices, retail shops, restaurants, and public spaces. When it was completed in 2016, it was the tallest building in the country for a year, and it remained the tallest in Mexico City up until 2022 – but there’s much more to the building than just its height.
In stark contrast to the standard glass-clad high-rises found around the world, the structural design of Torre Reforma is dominated by two massive concrete walls. Standing 246 meters tall, the building has been described as "a huge urban obelisk." Located on Paseo de la Reforma – a tree-lined avenue that runs through the heart of Mexico City’s financial district – the 57 floor mixed-use building houses offices, retail space, restaurants, as well as a sports facility and public spaces.
"Torre Reforma is a special building in many ways," says Andrea Alejandra Navarrete Salazar, our Project Manager for the skyscraper. "It was a unique engineering challenge that set the standards for sustainability, safety, and what could be done within a relatively small footprint."
Designed by local architect Benjamín Romano, the skyscraper was influenced by Pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexican architecture. Built on a 2,800-square-meter ground site – a small footprint for a high-rise building of roughly 87,000
square meters – Torre Reforma’s interior space is free of columns, providing tenants with flexible interior spaces.
The shape of the building was also influenced in part by a historic house that was already on the site – which is protected by the National Institute of the Fine Arts (INBA), tasked with preserving the country’s cultural heritage. To integrate it into the building, it first had to be moved, so that the new building’s foundations could be completed. To do this, a concrete tray was built under the original stone foundations of the historic building so that it could be moved out and then back into place, in one piece. It now forms part of the entrance lobby, with the tower cantilevered over the top of it.
Torre Reforma won the International Highrise Award 2018/19, with the judges describing it as "the one building that delighted both the structural engineers and the architects of the jury in equal measure as a masterful demonstration of a new approach to the high-rise."
In the morning, the ventilation windows automatically open to allow the building to breathe out warm air and naturally cool itself. Torre Reforma has its own water treatment plant and recycles 100% of its rain and wastewater – using it mainly in its bathrooms and air conditioning units, but also for its fire protection system.
Innovative design and technology can be found throughout Torre Reforma – including its vertical mobility system. Our energy-efficient elevators and escalators, managed by Schindler PORT, helped Torre Reforma secure a LEED Platinum certification – making it the first building in Mexico to achieve the highest LEED rating for sustainable, green, low-polluting and low-emissions buildings.
"Our team installed 29 elevators – including 14 Schindler 7000s – and four Schindler 9300 AE escalators to ensure the flow of people throughout the building always remains smooth, even during peak time," explains Andrea. Combined with Schindler Lobby Vision, our supervisory monitoring system that enables the integration of third-party applications, all the elevators and escalators in the skyscraper can be monitored via Torre Reforma’s building management system (BMS).
"With Schindler PORT and Schindler Lobby Vision working behind the scenes, you can be certain that traffic flow is optimized, so that elevator waiting times and energy usage are kept to a minimum," says Andrea.
Torre Reforma was also built to withstand the forces of nature. Its concrete walls – the tallest exposed concrete walls of any building in the world – not only reach high upward, but also extend 60 meters below ground to supply additional support in an area prone to earthquakes. "Along the side of the building, there are triple-height windows every four floors that dissipate seismic energy," the architect explained. "They allow the concrete walls to bend when under stress without breaking."
These windows also help to split the building into 14, four-story clusters – creating buildings within the building. The clusters provide more intimate working environments for the tenants and are interspersed with the internal gardens that can be found throughout the skyscraper – adding to the natural feeling inside.
Torre Reforma is also proactively ready for other emergencies – it was the first project in Mexico to incorporate our state-of-the-art Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO) equipment.
"The OEO system we implement in the building provides an extra level of security," explains Andrea. "It means that in the event of a fire, it’s safe to use the elevators to evacuate the building." This setup stops smoke, fire, and water entering hoistway, as well as providing emergency power to the elevators. So, people can be evacuated quicker and more safely – and fire services can also access the affected area more effectively to reduce the risk of further danger.
If a fire is detected, the OEO system automatically creates ‘pressurized shelters’ in the elevator lobbies. This helps to safely move people out of the ‘evacuation zone’ – which is defined as the affected floor/floors, and the two floors above – which are at the highest risk of fire spreading – and the two floors below – which are used by firefighters as a base camp from which they can extinguish the fire.
With OEO a building doesn’t require an additional exit stairwell – saving 18.5 square meters a floor – offering building owners the opportunity to configure the extra space for other uses and increasing rentable space.
Additionally, a special Emergency Evacuation Elevator (EEE) system was designed for the building – which allows elevators to be controlled remotely. With cameras installed on the top and the bottom of the elevator cars, the evacuation team can perform remote shaft inspections. "The EEE system allows emergency teams to assess the situation before entering the building, making it safer for everyone involved," says Andrea.
With its two massive walls connected in a ‘V’ shape, the triangular building stands like an open book facing south to maximize natural sunlight – while its double-glazed glass façade, with fixed horizontal shades on each floor, conserve energy by preventing overheating. The building’s elevators are located in the apex of the ‘V’ to optimize space and provide additional support to the shafts.
During the project, our team used Schindler Top Range Excellence (TREX) – our large project management philosophy – which was specifically designed to guide large projects through their entire life cycle from tender to handover. Built from years of experience, and drawing on insights from projects around the world, Schindler TREX provide a standardized set of best practices that enable major projects to be efficiently managed – all while improving quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.
"Using Schindler TREX allowedour team to execute and maintain a well-structured installation plan," says Alberto Peralta, our on-site Schindler TREX Supervisor. "Even though we were working in a relatively confined space, we were able to do so with confidence. The team did an excellent job, and the results speak for themselves."
Torre Reforma served as the launch pad for Schindler TREX in Mexico, allowing the team to successfully manage the complex project smoothly and efficiently. TREX has since been implemented with great success on many other projects around the country.
Since the building opened in 2016, we’ve continued to work closely with Torre Reforma to ensure everything keeps running smoothly.
"We visit the site regularly and provide monthly check-ups," says Luis Daniel Sanchez Mosqueda, our Existing Installation Supervisor for Torre Reforma. "It’s always a pleasure to visit, it’s a project we’re very proud to be part of, and we have a very close relationship with the client."
In February 2023, to accommodate a request from one of Torre Reforma’s new tenants, our team helped extend the number of floors accessible via the high-rise elevators. The ‘four-story cluster’ had previously been served by the mid-level elevators, but the tenant wanted to have direct elevator access to their floors above as well.
"It really showed their adaptability," says Rogelio Torres, Torre Reforma's Building Operations Manager. "Since day one, the Schindler team has been involved. They’re a true partner in this project and care about the building as much as we do."