The Banco Vizcaya tower in Bilbao turns 50 and changes its façade
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Banco Vizcaya tower in Bilbao, better known as the BBVA tower, one of the tallest buildings in the Basque Country and a symbol of the great financial activity of the city during the 20th century. With its 88 metres in height, it marked the beginning of the challenge of vertical architecture in the city in 1969. Its three architects, José Enrique Casanueva, Jaime Torres and José María Chapa, won the competition for its design and construction, with a proposal that, in addition to being innovative, recovered the classic treatment of materials, such as the stone appearance of the cast aluminium plates of the façade or the search for elegance with tinted glass.
These elements are the ones that have been most valued 50 years later by Gonzalo Carro and Fernando Garrido, architects of Idom, and in charge of the comprehensive rehabilitation process that will return it to its original appearance. The 10,000 square meters of façade will be restored to its original appearance after its lifespan has been completed, thus guaranteeing the building's safety. The transformation will be carried out in a hidden manner, as the different elements that make up the curtain wall are assembled as they are dismantled: uprights, crossbeams, tinted glass and cast aluminum plates.
The recovery of the cast aluminium plates is one of the operations that has been most valued, since the high cost, both economic and material, of making new pieces, made their recovery advisable. Various cleaning tests carried out yielded very satisfactory results, with a view to their recovery and adaptation to the new façade system.
The cast aluminium plates after cleaning. The textures of the plates offer different colour effects depending on the light reflected on them.
This project is one of the most important that Riventi will carry out this year and we are starting 2019 with the aim of celebrating the 50th anniversary of this building with the complete renovation of its façade.
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The BBVA Tower will change its four facades when it turns 50.
