World
Spanish skyscraper missing elevators in monster goof: ‘Standard for the Future’ or sign of current decline?
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/builders-forgot-elevator-shafts-finished-skyscrapper-article-1.1422685#ixzz2blCXk3m6
The InTempo, a
47-story building in Alicante, Spain, has had its construction fraught
with problems, including allegations of fraud from both customers and
suppliers, who are owed $3.3 million.
What goes up must walk down.
In what will surely go down in history as one the greatest architectural blunders, the town of Benidorm in Alicante, Spain, had almost completed its 47-story skyscraper when it realized it excluded plans for elevator shafts.
Despite its name, the InTempo skyscraper was, seemingly rushed through the blueprint process, and its attempted message of prosperity through the country's economic tumult has become one that is more fitting to the current state of things in Spain as a whole.
As El País headlines, "InTempo, an incompetence of high stature," the construction of the massive building has been plagued with problems beyond the oversight of being inaccessible. The construction was initially funded by the bank Caixa Galicia, but as of December 2012, financing for the project was taken over by Sareb, which is "known as the bad bank" in Spain.
The notorious title of "bad bank" was bestowed upon banks created by the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund to focus toxic estate assets. The bad banks would be entitled to bailouts from the European Union for payments of their purchased assets that are damaged. Essentially, "bad banks" are like real estate paper shredders.
With an initial investment of $4,140, construction company Olga Urbana promoted the project as "an unquestionable standard for the future" that would stretch 200 meters into the clouds. The now-extinct Caixa Galicia had lent $122.8 million in 2005, and when the bad bank took the reins of InTempo, it did so for 50% of that price and an arbitrary $14.7 million.
The bizarre nature of the practices put in place in the construction of InTempo doesn't stop at bad banks and missing elevator shafts. The initial backer of the project, Caixa Galicia, stopped paying workers for four months around the time it realized — after about 23 floors had been completed — that a service elevator hadn't been installed for the 41 workers who had been hauling materials up 23 flights of stairs.
Today InTempo has 94% of its structure completed and 35% of its apartments sold. The building is currently scheduled to be finished in December, but the project is beset with allegations of fraud from both customers and suppliers, who are owed $3.3 million.
As for the elevator issue, there is still a solution to be found. Because of the way the building was constructed, there is no space for a shaft anywhere. The most likely solution, given the circumstance, is a series of external elevators like those found on the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, which would add a significant increase to the price tag.
The building that was set to be a "standard for the future" has instead become a terrible reminder of the present age of decadence and excess.
EN FIN, DESDE QUE INVENTARON LO DE LA MARCA ESPAÑA NO HA PODIDO IR PEOR...
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| Áticos a 6.000 euros el metro cuadrado y subiendo las escaleras a pie... |
AQUÍ EL ARTÍCULO QUE HIZO EL PAÍS:
In Tempo, la torre de Benidorm que le costó 92 millones a la ya desaparecida Caixa Galicia, sigue sin terminar y ni siquiera los arquitectos originales permanecen en el proyecto.
Un edificio de 47 plantas y 269 viviendas que ha pasado de ser el símbolo de la supuesta salida de Benidorm de la crisis inmobiliaria, a la imagen de la construcción sin sentido.
Para entenderlo hay que remontarse al boom inmobiliario de 2005, cuando la extinguida Caixa Galicia prestó estos 92 millones de euros a la promotora Olga Urbana. Una hipoteca que acabó en Nova Galicia y después en manos del control del Sareb o Banco malo.
...
Además, las incompetencias en la construcción han contribuido en el retraso de la finalización de la obra. Cuando se construyó la planta 23, los operarios subían y bajaban a pie, y, tras construir el montacargas, en julio de 2011 se caía con trece operarios en su interior (no hubo fallecidos aunque sí heridos con politraumatismos).
En abril de 2011, tras poner el hormigón de la planta 46 descubrieron que aún no estaban los planos de la 47.
Asimismo, en enero de 2012 descubrieron que no habían diseñado el ascensor.
Los más de 100 inversores, la mayoría rusos que ya han comprado una vivienda en este edificio, siguen esperando.
Algunos han pagado por las plantas más altas, en las que en días buenos pueden ver la isla de ibiza, 6.000 euros el metro cuadrado, pero lejos están de ver esas vistas y de conseguir las llaves de su propiedad.
Un gran escándalo que ha llegado a la prensa internacional. Así titula 'The Guardian' un articulo dedicado a este edificio: "Estas torres son el testamento del boom de la crisis en España".
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