Echenique Suberví Arquitectos & Asociados

Tower W69 · Comprehensive façade renewal
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Project 01 · Façade rehabilitation

Tower W69

Comprehensive façade renewal

Year
2013–2018
Program
Offices + ground-floor retail
Scope
Façade, ground floor and exterior access

An office-tower renewal that improved street presence, interior comfort and the connection to the city, without interrupting daily operations.

Key figures

8

floors renewed

0

m³ of structure added

100%

operation maintained

4

façades renewed

Existing condition · October 2013

A solid foundation, ready for a new image

The starting point was an eight-storey office tower that was structurally sound but visually fragmented and disconnected from its corner. The challenge was to transform the experience of the building without rebuilding it.

Its original façade divided the tower into separate bands, left technical equipment exposed and closed the ground floor to the street. It also offered limited protection from sun and glare.

  • No clear, unified identity
  • Sun and glare that were hard to manage
  • Technical equipment in view
  • A ground floor disconnected from the street
Original main façade of the W69 building before the renovation, in white concrete with narrow window openings.
Original main façade of the W69 building before the renovation, in white concrete with narrow window openings.
Low-angle render of the proposed renovation of Tower W69, with white panels and bands of green vertical garden.
Low-angle render of the proposed renovation of Tower W69, with white panels and bands of green vertical garden.

Proposal · October 2013

Renew the façade, keep what works

The team kept the existing structure and focused the investment on a new façade. The building gained character, comfort and a clearer presence without the cost and impact of a full rebuild.

Dark vertical panels and a continuous roofline organise the volume and conceal rooftop equipment. New bands of solar-control glass reduce glare and make the eight floors read as one coherent building.

At street level, a canopy, more glass and a retail space bring new life to the front of the building. Paving, planting and street furniture make the pedestrian arrival feel more welcoming.

  • The existing structure was kept in full
  • A lightweight façade tailored to the original building
  • Solar protection built into the glass
  • A more open, active ground floor

Construction · 2014–2015

Renewing the tower while offices stayed open

The tower had to remain occupied throughout construction. The intervention was organised from the outside to minimise disruption for the people working inside.

Scaffolding wrapped all four façades, allowing the original windows and eaves to be removed in stages. The new façade was installed on the existing structure without reinforcement.

For a few weeks, the corner showed its before and after at once, a clear reminder of how much a building can change while remaining in use.

  • Offices remained open throughout construction
  • Coordinated work from an exterior platform
  • A phased approach that limited disruption
  • The new façade made use of the existing structure
Photograph of the junction between the new glass-and-stone façade and the original structure of the W69 building.
Photograph of the junction between the new glass-and-stone façade and the original structure of the W69 building.
Photograph of the commercial plinth of the completed W69 building, at street level, with palm trees and brick planters.
Photograph of the commercial plinth of the completed W69 building, at street level, with palm trees and brick planters.

Completed · June 2018

A new presence on the corner

The finished tower reads as one composed volume: taller, calmer and more connected to its surroundings. Continuous lines in the façade bring order to the whole while allowing each part to retain its character.

The circulation core was deliberately kept distinct, preserving a recognisable feature of the building. The result shows how a precise façade intervention can completely change the way a building is experienced and recognised.

Timeline

  1. Oct 2013 Survey and diagnosis of the existing condition
  2. Oct 2013 Massing study, validated by photomontage
  3. Aug 2014 Full perimeter scaffold erected
  4. Nov 2014 Curtain wall completed
  5. Dec 2014 Fins and crown clad
  6. Jun 2018 Completed works and consolidated surroundings recorded

Gallery

Photograph of the original building on the street corner before the renovation, with a white concrete façade and vehicles parked in front.
Photograph of the original building on the street corner before the renovation, with a white concrete façade and vehicles parked in front.
Original circulation core of the W69 building before the renovation, with a concrete façade and a parking area in front.
Original circulation core of the W69 building before the renovation, with a concrete façade and a parking area in front.
Photomontage of the Tower W69 proposal integrated into an actual street photograph, showing the new façade with vertical gardens.
Photomontage of the Tower W69 proposal integrated into an actual street photograph, showing the new façade with vertical gardens.
Render of the proposed pedestrian plinth for Tower W69 with a Valentino storefront and a vertical garden at the covered entrance.
Render of the proposed pedestrian plinth for Tower W69 with a Valentino storefront and a vertical garden at the covered entrance.
Aerial render of the proposed complex for Tower W69 showing the renovated tower and the site's parking area.
Aerial render of the proposed complex for Tower W69 showing the renovated tower and the site's parking area.
Photograph of the W69 building fully covered in scaffolding during the façade renovation process.
Photograph of the W69 building fully covered in scaffolding during the façade renovation process.
Detail photograph of the glass curtain wall installed at the corner of the W69 building during construction.
Detail photograph of the glass curtain wall installed at the corner of the W69 building during construction.
Photograph of the completed W69 building with the access control booth and the number 69 on the entrance wall.
Photograph of the completed W69 building with the access control booth and the number 69 on the entrance wall.

PDF · presentation sheets

Download documentation

Presentation sheets A3 · six sheets PDF · 1.3 MB
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