Edificio La Nacional
Edificio La Nacional I (left) and II (right)
General information
Construction started1929
Completed1932
Height56 metres (184 ft)
Technical details
Floor count13
Design and construction
Architect(s)Manuel Ortiz Monasterio

Edificio La Nacional is an Art Deco office building located in Avenida Juárez, in the Historical Centre of Mexico City, just across the street from Palacio de Bellas Artes. The building's architect was Manuel Ortiz Monasterio, former director of the Escuela Nacional de Arquitectura.[1] It is considered to be the first building over 10 stories in Mexico.

The building was built between 1929 and 1932. It is known as "La Nacional" because it was originally home to the National Insurance Company (La Companía Nacional de Seguros).[2][1][3] It was the tallest building in Mexico City until Edificio Corcuera was built in 1937. It stands 56 meters and 13 floors, served by five elevators. Its steel frame was designed to withstand the strong earthquakes that regularly shake the city. Total building area is 15,000 square metres (160,000 sq ft). It suffered some damage but survived the 1957 and 1985 earthquakes that took place in Mexico City, but was slightly damaged in the 2012 Oaxaca-Guerrero earthquake.[3]

The building next to it, known as "La Nacional II" and considered an annex, was built in 1949 and contains a Sears store. The eight floor houses a popular café, that offers views to Palacio de Bellas Artes and Alameda Park.

19°26′03″N 99°08′28″W / 19.43417°N 99.14111°W / 19.43417; -99.14111

References

  1. 1 2 Burian, Edward (2015-08-15). The Architecture and Cities of Northern Mexico from Independence to the Present. University of Texas Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-292-77190-1.
  2. ↑ Burian, Edward R. (2010-06-28). Modernity and the Architecture of Mexico. University of Texas Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-292-79166-4.
  3. 1 2 "La Ciudad en el Tiempo: el edificio "La Nacional" cumple 85 años". El Universal (in Spanish). 2017-12-31. Retrieved 2021-11-19.


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