Latin American Tower

The Latin American Tower, in Mexico City

The Latin American Tower is one of the most emblematic skyscrapers of Mexico City, long the highest tower of the country, famous for its panoramic view and its technical feat. The Mexico City audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this building of 1956, the first tower built in a seismic zone, that resisted the great earthquake of 1985 and offers, from the top of its one hundred and eighty-three metres, a striking view over the city.

The technical feat in a seismic zone

You are at the foot of one of the most famous towers of Mexico. Called the Latin American Tower, it was, at the end of its construction in 1956, the highest tower of the country. Today overtaken by the Torre WTC, raised in 1984, it nevertheless remains one of the most emblematic monuments of Mexico City. It owes its name to the insurance company that sat in its walls until 1960. From the top of its forty-four floors and its one hundred and eighty-three metres, it offers a superb view over the city and the surrounding mountains, enough to discover the capital from another angle. But its fame holds especially to a technical exploit: it was the first tower built on a seismic zone, which obliged architects and engineers to invent new solutions to guarantee its stability, notably deep foundations resting on piles and a flexible steel structure. This ingenuity was spectacularly validated during the great earthquake of 1985, of a magnitude of 8.1, that struck the city hard: the tower resisted it without damage, becoming a symbol of modernity and safety. It today shelters a viewpoint, a museum devoted to its history and very appreciated panoramic spaces. A panoramic tower and an engineering feat, the Latin American Tower is a fine stop of the discovery of Mexico City.

What to see

Here you discover one of the emblematic skyscrapers of Mexico City, long the highest tower of the country after its construction in 1956; one hundred and eighty-three metres high and forty-four floors, it was the first tower built in a seismic zone and resisted the earthquake of 1985, and offers from its viewpoint a superb view over the city and the mountains. The Latin American Tower is a belvedere of Mexico City. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Latin American Tower lies in the heart of the historic centre of Mexico City, near the Alameda Central, reachable on foot or by metro. You reach the viewpoint and the museum according to the hours in force, which vary; access is paying. It is best to enquire before coming and to favour a day of clear sky for the view.

Why is the Latin American Tower of Mexico City famous?

Because it was, at its construction in 1956, the highest tower of the country, and especially the first built in a seismic zone: its deep foundations and its flexible structure allowed it to resist without damage the great earthquake of 1985, magnitude 8.1; one hundred and eighty-three metres high, it offers from its viewpoint a superb view over Mexico City and the mountains.

Where is the Latin American Tower in Mexico City?

In the heart of the historic centre of Mexico City, near the Alameda Central, in Mexico.