One of the most interesting buildings in Madrid is certainly the appearance of two towers called the Gates of Europe. The towers are also recognizable to the public under the name Torres Kio, which greatly promoted them, and Kio is an abbreviation for the Kuwaiti Investment Fund. Located in the heart of Plaza de Castilla, they are skyscrapers intended for offices. Their location and architecture are unusual and that is why many visitors take their time to see these two towers. Their construction began in 1990 and lasted until 1995. The designers in charge of the building were John Burgee (Architects New York Studio) and Philip Johnson, originally from America. The sloping towers are tilted towards each other by 14.3 degrees vertically and were also the first tilted skyscrapers in the world.
Both towers contain three basements, a ground floor and 24 office floors, and a total of 26 floors with a height of 114 meters. The exterior is made of glass, aluminum and stainless steel. They represent icons of modern architecture in Madrid. They are easily visible from many places in this part of the city, so they can often be a reference point for you. You will have the impression that the buildings will collapse, due to their wrong shape. The floors cover an area of 1170 m2. A window cleaning machine was also specially made.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
