Centro Empresarial La Encalada

Lima, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 for its colonial architecture, is today a modern metropolis whose physiognomy is changing rapidly driven by a thriving real estate market. This phenomenon is particularly evident in Surco, the district where Inmobiliario Grupo Acciona decided to locate its new business centre Centro Empresarial La Encalada. The building is located just a short way from the imposing US Embassy on the corner between Avenida La Encalada (hence the name) and Calle San Camilo. Formerly a residential area, in recent years it has evolved into a financial and commercial district. Architect Samuel Cardenas is keen to emphasise that his main concern in this project was to seek a structure that would comply with building regulations, meet his client’s expectations in terms of maximising returns, and at the same time minimise the impact of a building of this kind on a neighbourhood characterised by low architectural volumes. This was the reason for the high degree of fragmentation of the glass planes and the use of lateral end elements, while the floors on the elevation facing onto Calle San Camilo are progressively set back in a show of respect towards the adjacent single-family residences. At the same time the clean lines of the facade together with the corner location allow the building to blend discreetly into the urban fabric. The project has four below-ground and eleven above-ground floors. Its total height of 31.50 metres includes a two metre bonus granted by the authorities in exchange for assigning the first and second floors to parking areas along with the entrance hall and its services. From the third to the eleventh floor there are forty-five offices ranging in size from the smallest (110 square metres) up to those extending over an entire floor (approximately 700 square metres). A total of 161 car parking spaces are available between the fourth basement level and the second floor. All levels are connected vertically by four lifts and two pressurised emergency stairways. While the interior design of the offices is chosen by individual purchasers, that of the common areas was assigned to the architects Giuseppina and Carla Canepa, well known in Lima for their work on showrooms of the leading European furniture brands. The two architects made a significant contribution to the entrance hall, creating an imposing space with an essential yet attractive contemporary look in accordance with the image sought by the high-level companies housed in the building. A crucial contribution to this result came from the use of Verde1999 porcelain tiles. As the entire hall is paved with a striking large-format floor covering that stands out for its unique installation pattern, two tones of grey and the surface sheen produced by a honing treatment, it was necessary to add only the reception desk and a few high-quality furnishing accessories.