Costanera Center

{{Short description|Commercial and business complex in Chile}}

{{update|date=August 2014}}

File:CostaneraCenter2016.jpg

The Costanera Center is a commercial and business complex located in the commune of Providencia, Santiago, Chile. Owned by Cencosud, the complex consists of four skyscrapers, including the Gran Torre Santiago, two high-end hotels, an office building, and a six-floor shopping mall.[http://www.livingatlaschile.com/?s=Skyscrapers Costanera Center – Gran Santiago Tower] www.livingatlaschile.com December 17, 2013, retrieved December 19, 2013

The Gran Torre Santiago, which stands as the tallest of the four buildings, was designed by renowned architect César Pelli and measures {{convert|300|m}} tall.{{cite web |title=Costanera Center alcanza su altura máxima y culmina etapa de obra gruesa |url=http://latercera.com/noticia/santiago/2012/02/1731-430698-9-costanera-center-alcanza-su-altura-maxima-y-culmina-etapa-de-obra-gruesa.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214184013/http://latercera.com/noticia/santiago/2012/02/1731-430698-9-costanera-center-alcanza-su-altura-maxima-y-culmina-etapa-de-obra-gruesa.shtml |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-03 |publisher=La Tercera |language=es |location=Santiago}}[http://www.latercera.cl/medio/articulo/0,0,3255_5676_278252694,00.html La Tercera – Cencosud niega presuntas irregularidades en permisos de construcción de Costanera Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704215657/http://www.latercera.cl/medio/articulo/0%2C0%2C3255_5676_278252694%2C00.html|date=July 4, 2007}} It is the second tallest building in Latin America, following Torres Obispado, and the fifth tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, after Indonesia's Autograph Tower and Luminary Tower in Jakarta and Australia's Q1 on the Gold Coast and Australia 108 in Melbourne. One of the other buildings in the complex is {{convert|170|m}} high, while the other is only four stories.

Construction of the Costanera Center was temporarily halted in January 2009 due to the late 2000s recession. The developers were concerned that they would not be able to find tenants if completed by the originally proposed date.{{cite news |last=Long |first=Gideon |date=January 30, 2009 |title=South American skyscraper on hold |work=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7860069.stm |accessdate=2009-02-19}} After the recession ended, Cencosud announced that construction would resume on December 16, 2009. The construction process restarted at the end of 2010.

On February 14, 2012, the Gran Torre Santiago reached 300 meters and became the tallest building in South and Latin America.{{cite web |date=2012-02-14 |title=Costanera Center se convierte en la torre más alta de Sudamérica |url=http://www.emol.com/noticias/economia/2012/02/14/526183/costanera-center-alcanza-los-300-metros-y-se-transforma-en-la-torre-mas-alta-de-sudamerica.html |accessdate=2012-10-03 |publisher=Emol.com |language=es}} The mall in the complex, designed by Canadian retail agency Watt International, opened on June 12, 2012, and is the largest in South America.{{cite web |last=Webber |first=Jude |date=2012-09-25 |title=Prosperity brings its problems |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3ea7fd28-030d-11e2-a284-00144feabdc0.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150507121934/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3ea7fd28-030d-11e2-a284-00144feabdc0.html%23axzz3ZSFEHi00 |archive-date=2015-05-07 |accessdate=2012-10-03 |publisher=FT.com}} It comprises six floors and includes the Jumbo (hypermarket).