Status Complete Opening November, 2013 Height 267 m Opened November 2013 Architectural style Modern architecture | Completed 2013 Tip 262 m (860 ft) Floors 66 Floor area 21 ha Construction started 2009 | |
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Similar Vitri Tower, Arts Tower, Pearl Tower, Ocean Two, Torre Waters | ||
Bicsa Financial Center, first named Ice Tower, then Star Bay Tower, is a 68-storey skyscraper in Avenida Balboa, Panama City. Standing 267 m (876 ft) tall, it is the third tallest building in Panama City and fourth in Latin America.
Contents
- Bicsa financial center espaciosas y lujosas oficinas para alquiler
- History
- Ice tower
- Materials
- References
Bicsa Financial Center is also known for its distinctive glass colour (gold).
Bicsa financial center espaciosas y lujosas oficinas para alquiler
History
Prior to the start of the Star Bay Tower project, a supertall skyscraper, Ice Tower, was undergoing construction. It would have consisted of 104 floors and would be 381 m (1,250 ft) tall. The decision to start the construction was due to the cancellation of another supertall skyscraper project, Palacio de la Bahia, a 353 m (1,158 ft) tall building. In 2007, after the installation of steel reinforcement in the foundation, the Ice Tower project was halted. In order to prevent corrosion of the steel girders and be able to reuse the foundation, it was concreted. The works were done on Sunday in order to have the necessary machinery and manpower.
On May 2008, the works were resumed. The project was then renamed to 'Star Bay Tower' named after a developing company, Star Bay Group. In May, 2009, the main retaining wall has collapsed. The incident has damaged parts of the adjacent sidewalk and roadway and caused interferences in water supply. On 18 May, Hilton Hotels occupied 27 floors of the building.
On 10 October 2012 fire broke out in the garage of the building. The fire was extinguished in 23 hours by approximately 200 firefighters. After the incident, Banco Internacional de Costa Rica (BICSA) had rented some of the offices in the Star Bay Tower, which was the main reason why the projected received its current name.
In 2013, the building was completed. The official opening took place in September of the same year.
Ice tower
Ice Tower was a supertall skyscraper project in Panama City in Panama, which was cancelled in 2007. The planned height of the building was 381 meters (1,250 feet), which would have 104 floors, increased from the original proposal of 80 floors .
In March 2007, excavations began for the construction of the foundation of the building. However, three months later, in June 2007, the project was cancelled. Ice is the third cancelled supertall skyscraper project in Panama City after the Torre Generali (cancelled in 2001) and the Palacio de la Bahía.