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Picasso Tower

Torre Picasso
Torre Picasso - 01.jpg
General information
Location Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid, Spain
Coordinates 40°27′01″N 3°41′33″W / 40.45028°N 3.69250°W / 40.45028; -3.69250Coordinates: 40°27′01″N 3°41′33″W / 40.45028°N 3.69250°W / 40.45028; -3.69250
Construction started 1982
Completed 1988
Owner Pontegadea Inmobiliaria
Management PER Gestora Inmobiliaria
Height
Roof 157 m (515 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 46 above, 5 below
Floor area 121,000 m2 (1,302,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators 26
Design and construction
Architect Minoru Yamasaki; in collaboration with Jorge Mir Valls and Rafael Coll Pujol
Main contractor Construcciones y Contratas

Torre Picasso (Picasso Tower) is a skyscraper in Madrid, Spain designed by Minoru Yamasaki. From 1988 until 2007 it was the tallest building in Madrid, measuring 515 ft (157 m) and with 43 floors. Torre Picasso is located next to the Pablo Picasso Square, within the commercial complex AZCA along the Paseo de la Castellana.

The Torre Picasso was part of a plan to build a large block of modern buildings in the expansion area of northern Madrid. Construction of this area, better known as AZCA, began in 1970 and in 1975 developer, Unión de Explosivos Río Tinto, S.A., awarded design of the tower to American architect Minoru Yamasaki, in collaboration with Jorge Mir Valls and Rafael Coll Pujol. In 1980, Yamasaki received a license to building the highest office complex of Madrid.

Construction began late 1982, and the building opened in December 1988. During this period, construction stalled for a period until new owners Portland Valderrivas S.A. and Inmobiliaria Asón S.A., purchased the incomplete structure and relaunched work in 1985 under the direction of architect Fernando Alas. In 2002, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) regained control of the building through a purchase of Portland Valderrivas. FCC owned the tower until December 2011 when Pontegadea Inmobiliaria, a division of Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. purchased the structure for €400 million. PER Gestora Inmobiliaria, S.L.manages the building.

At its opening in 1988, Torre Picasso was surpassing the elder office tower Torre de Madrid. However, it was not Madrid's tallest building, as the television tower Torrespaña completed in 1982, was higher with its 231 m (757.87 ft). Notable surrounding skyscrapers are Torre Europa, Banco de Bilbao Tower and Windsor Tower, now demolished after a fire.

The Torre Picasso was Spain's tallest building until 2001, when it was overtaken by the Gran Hotel Bali in Benidorm, Alicante, the Torre Espacio in 2007, and Torre Caja Madrid, Torre de Cristal and Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso since 2009.


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