The El Faro Towers ( "Lighthouse Towers"), also known as El Faro I/II, when referring to the complex individually, or El Faro Complex, when referring to the pair as a whole, are a

highrise A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdiction ...

residential A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas. Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...

complex of two, twin interconnected skyscrapers located in the

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

Puerto Madero Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a Barrios and Communes of Buenos Aires, ''barrio'' of Buenos Aires in the Buenos Aires Central Business District, Central Business District. Occup ...

, in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, the capital and largest city of

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. The El Faro Towers are made of glass, most specially used for the

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

's windows, and

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

. Although the two towers did not commence their construction at the same time, the first and second skyscrapers' construction ceased in 2003 and 2005, respectively. The twin skyscrapers were the tallest structures in Buenos Aires, and Argentina from 2003 to 2009. The towers have a height of .

History

Concept and construction

The Lighthouse () project was first proposed in 1999, and coincided with a burgeoning interest in redeveloping the dilapidated

docklands on the part of developers. The project was initially designed to include two towers with a height of each, with 48 floors distributed among them. The towers were to be connected by several aerial bridges at four levels. The development was approved in late 2000, and the construction of first began in 2001, although not all the plans were really fulfilled, such as the towers having a height of instead of the proposed height of and the towers having a floor count of 46 instead of 48. The first tower's construction was completed in 2003, and all units therein were sold by the time construction started on the second tower. While there were several alternative proposals from groups dedicated to the protection of the nearby

Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve, ''Reserva Ecológica de Buenos Aires'', also known as Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, ''Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur'', is a tract of low land on the Río de la Plata riverbank located on the east side of ...

, objections were also raised over the prior substitution of Act 123 for Act 452, which would have permitted a lesser degree of environmental impact for the project's approval. The second tower was completed in the early months in 2005 and promptly sold out, thus concluding the project. These became the highest in Buenos Aires and Argentina, though the structures were narrowly surpassed in height by the nearby Mulieris towers and the Repsol-YPF tower (both in Puerto Madero) upon these latter's compilation in 2008 (they were, in turn, surpassed by Torre Cavia, part of the

Le Parc Figueroa Alcorta Le Parc Figueroa Alcorta is a residential complex comprising the Alcorta and Cavia towers. The tallest one (Cavia) is tall, and the Alcorta tower is tall. The towers were designed by the Lanuzzi studio and are under construction in the Palermo ...

complex, in 2009).

Geography

The El Faro Towers are located in the

, in

, the capital and largest city of Argentina. The twin skyscrapers is surrounded by numerous attractions in the area, including several restaurants, a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, a park, several markets and an antique market, a subway, a bookstore and several other stores found nearby, several residential and commercial buildings, since the El Faro Towers themselves are a part of a residential neighborhood, a notable river with a complete set of

docks The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engli ...

and ferry

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

s and a natural reserve not far from the skyscrapers.

Structure and features

The El Faro Towers have a total height of and an area of . The twin skyscrapers were built using reinforced concrete for general support and the towers' walls. The pair of skyscrapers uses glass for the towers' symmetrically designed windows. Aluminum is also used. The two skyscrapers are linked and intertwined together by four sky bridges. The complex houses a total of 160 apartments, outdoor pools,

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

s, tennis court, solarium, two

underground parking A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...

structures for owners, residents and guests, and other ancillary facilities. A reading and relaxation room is also set up on the top sky bridge between the two buildings.

Gallery

''Click on the thumbnail to enlarge. File:Puerto Madero towers.jpg, A photo showing most of the neighborhood of

's known

, with the El Faro Towers (back right) in the background. File:Torres El Faro.jpg, Front view of the El Faro Towers, shot from the river near the two skyscrapers. File:ChateauRMJ.jpg, El Faro Towers (right), with several other

skyscrapers such as the Château Tower (foreground) and the Mulieris towers (left). File:2011.10.17.151244 El Faro Mulieris Puerto Madero Buenos Aires.jpg, Construction (foreground) ongoing near the skyscrapers' area, with the El Faro Towers (back left) in the background. File:2011.10.17.151311 Torres El Faro Puerto Madero Buenos Aires.jpg, An

apartment An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...

(foreground) at the foot of the El Faro Towers (back right).

References

External links

El Faro I, Buenos Aires - SkyscraperPage.comTorres el Faro, Buenos Aires - Interpon United Arab EmiratesApartment El Faro Towers, Buenos Aires - ByT ArgentinaObras Metálicas S. A.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faro Towers Buildings and structures in Buenos Aires Residential buildings completed in 2005 Residential skyscrapers in Argentina Twin towers