Mangrove Tower

The Mangrove Tower was a proposed multipurpose skyscraper for San Juan, Puerto Rico, that if built, would have been the tallest building in the Caribbean.[1]

Mangrove Tower
Mangrove Tower is located in Puerto Rico
Mangrove Tower
Location within Puerto Rico
General information
StatusProposed
LocationMilla de Oro
Address125 Arterial B Avenue
Town or citySan Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates18°25′48″N 66°03′40″W / 18.43000°N 66.06111°W / 18.43000; -66.06111
Named forMangrove
Height206.5 metres (677 ft)
Technical details
Floor count55 (2 additional below ground)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Clara Tresgallo Parés

History[edit]

The building was to be located on the Martin Peña Channel waterfront across the street from the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum and right next to the Milla de Oro area. The proposal took inspiration from the mangrove trees located on the channel. The building would be composed of four distinct towers which would twist together similar to the mangrove branches, giving people the opportunity to move horizontally and diagonally.[2] The entanglement of the different structures would be hidden behind a façades with different treatments, such as an "interlaced net" mimicking a mangrove.[3] The mangrove-tree inspiration would be further stressed by the use of vegetation and water features throughout the structure.[2] It would have "house[d] apartments, businesses, public spaces and...a hotel,"[3] and "direct access to the area’s bus and train stations [as well as a] future connection to a ferry stop."[4]

If built, the Mangrove Tower would have been Puerto Rico's "first true skyscraper"[3] at 206.5 metres (677 ft) as it would have exceeded the 150 metres (490 ft) threshold to be considered a skyscraper, since the tallest high-rise building in Puerto Rico is the Caribbean Sea View which stands at 102 metres (335 ft).[5]

The lot is now home to the Trocadero Diverplex, which houses commercial, entertainment and tourism spaces.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mangrove Tower". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  2. ^ a b "Hato Rey Skyscraper | Clara Tresgallo Parés". Arch2O. 2012-07-01. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  3. ^ a b c del Sol, Danielle (2010-10-25). "Using Nature as Inspiration for Puerto Rico's First Real Skyscraper". eVolo. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  4. ^ Tresgallo Parés, Clara (2013-07-31). "Mangrove Tower". Behance. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  5. ^ "Caribbean Sea View". Emporis. Archived from the original on 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
  6. ^ "Trocadero Diverplex". Trocadero Diverplex (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2020-12-19.