Parque Central Complex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Parque Central Complex towers consist of two twin 56-story towers. The buildings are located in Caracas, Venezuela. The towers are the tallest buildings of the country, with a height of 221 m (725 ft).
The east tower was completed in 1979 and the west tower was completed in 1984. They take their name from the green refuge in the heart of Caracas' urban jungle, but are still in the midst of a vast complex of office buildings and civilized amenities. The view from inside offers panoramic access to the city and the surrounding mountains. However, in April 2003, both towers were surpassed in height by Mexico City's Torre Mayor, (which is 5 meters taller) as the tallest buildings in Latin America.
On October 17, 2004, a fire broke out on the east tower. At least ten floors were damaged in the incident. The fire was started in the 34th floor and flames reached the 44th floor of the building. These floors housed key government offices. At the time an inquest was being held on the activities of these offices. It sustained critical damage as efforts were hampered due to poor water pressure and lack of fire fighting equipment. Military helicopters tried pouring water from above to quench the flames. It was also feared that the steel structure may be damaged severely enough to collapse.
Currently (as of May 2006), the east tower is still undergoing major repairs due to the damage caused by the fire.
