Meet Panama’s Spiraling Tower: F&F Tower

Spiraling skyscraper in Panama City

The F&F Tower, formerly known as the Revolution Tower, is an architectural marvel that graces the skyline of Panama City, Panama. This distinctive skyscraper, with its helical shape, stands at a height of 242 meters, making it one of the tallest buildings in the city. Completed in 2011, the tower has quickly become a symbol of modernity and innovation in Panama’s bustling capital.

This helix-shaped building is 243 metres high with each of its 39 top floors (of the 52) turned at an 9º against the previous one.

Structural features

The main structure is made of reinforced concrete, formed by a central core of shear walls and eight circular columns that form a circumference centered with respect to the axis of the building. These 8 columns are joined by partially post-tensioned reinforced concrete beams that form a circle, also centered with respect to the axis of the building.

The basement floors are made of reinforced concrete and served to partially support the basement walls during construction. The upper parking floors and the first 4 office floors are made of post-tensioned slabs supported on columns.
steel tip

The rotating part of the building is composed of post-tensioned concrete joists that support a 0.12m thick reinforced concrete slab. These joists are radial, with respect to the circumference of the circular floor beam, and are always in the same position, only the free edge varies from 0 to 5.5m, changing length to form the torsion effect of the edge of the slab. the facade. These radial joists do not change the position on the floors, simplifying the form and construction.

Finally the tip is made of structural steel. Concrete of 70.2MPa to 28 MPa is used for the columns, 28 MPa for the reinforced and post-tensioned slabs. The building is designed and built in accordance with ACI318-02, using frames and intermediate shear walls to withstand earthquakes of moderate magnitude and winds of 115 km/h in accordance with current standards. Maximum displacements of 1/400 of the height and deformations between floors of 1/300 are met, for all lateral loads, under service conditions.