With two 5.9 earthquakes rocking Mexico City in the past couple of months, causing my apartment to shake and pictures to fall off the walls, here is one of the first buildings to be built to earthquake-proof specifications in 1956. It has withstood several earthquakes, the most notable in 1985, and in the viewing gallery are striking photos of this being the only building standing in a sea of rubble for as far as the eye can see.....
Once the tallest building in Latin America at 44 floors and 182m, it is now the fifth tallest in Mexico City today. Views from the observation deck on the top floor are quite spectacular on a clear day. I had never realised for example that all the street stall awnings were so colour coordinated!!
The Latin American Tower is located in the Centro Historico on Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas and Francisco Madero. It has a recently revamped cafe, restaurant and shop, and costs 50 pesos (4USD) to visit. The other safest place in the city during an earthquake is supposedly the Metro!
8 comments:
Right, I know that it withstood terrible earthquakes and that it is earthquake proof. Still, the first place to where I would dash should an earthquake occur would be... under my bed :-). Fantastic photos. I loved the one from the tower itself. Great view
Greetings from London.
What is going on in Mexico? First the swine flu and now an earthquake? I really hope things will get back to normal soon. That's an interesting photo, I'd never place that building in Mexico!
i thought i had left earthquakes behind when I left Indonesia a year and a half ago. So I was a little shocked to be woken up by rather a big one the other night. It was a little freaky as it slowly dawned on me that while the buildings I lived and worked in in Jakarta were all earthquake proof, no such consideration has ever really been thought of in belize.....
Cuban - yes you´re right..that would be a safe place too..
Flygirl - Mexico is fine..we have these earthquakes all the time, but we do desperately need the tourists back asap...hope your trip to Cancun goes well
Kristine - yes I read about that really strong one where you were..there was a lot of damage in Guatemala particularly...and yes here too the picture is very mixed in terms of earthquakeproofness!!
Catherine-- I am very excited that you are coming to DC this summer and would be happy to offer suggestions. Perhaps we could open a side-bar correspondence (forgive the funky spelling to avoid phishing) at cdotklaytonatgmaildotcom
hey cecile - thanks for the response...look forward to receiving more info and recommendations about DC
I love the views from this building but wouldn't want to be in or near it if an earthquake struck.
I was on the top floor mirador when the last earthquake occurred.
The building shook up and down a few times and then rocked from side to side.
Coolest thing ever for me.
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