Torre Espacio, Madrid

Accommodating 43 office floors (floor plates: 1,240m²–1,810m²), two corporate floors at the top of the tower, three floors of commercial space at the base of the building, and six levels of underground parking, running efficiencies and reducing maintenance costs were key considerations.

Torre Espacio moved away from conventional all-air or fan coil-type climate control systems, which can generate noise and air movement. A solution that is already successfully being used in high-level buildings elsewhere in Europe was chosen; an air/water system, a hybrid with exterior ventilation air-flows through raised floors and panels works in conjunction with radiant chilled ceiling panels and perimeter active chilled beams.

The shape of the tower also provided key challenges. SAS International’s suspended metal ceiling SAS330 was specified for the interior. As well as being durable and easy to maintain, it provides for acoustic insulation.

The uniqueness of the whole ceiling solution relates to the alignment of the perforation pattern, plain zones, apertures and consequently the chilled elements. The aesthetic effect is to replicate the Espacio logo and the end effect of the diagonal perforation zoning is to have a ceiling plane with a regular square tartan grid with a diagonal tartan grid running through it.

The positioning of the zones had to be perfect and this effect could only be achieved by special manufacturing techniques.

Every ceiling panel incorporates an aperture, turned at 45° to the panel edges, the chilled elements had to be fabricated for installation at the 45° pitch and had to be formed to accommodate the central aperture in each panel.

SAS International was able to achieve the required sophisticated aesthetic appearance and specified chilled outputs, whilst meeting budget constraints.