Series 02 – Centro Operativo Bancomer

Archive Juan Sordo Madaleno

The Centro Corporativo Bancomer (1976) is a large-scale corporate complex designed to accommodate 9,000 employees, located in the southern part of Mexico City. The project was conceived by Juan Sordo Madaleno, in collaboration with José Adolfo Wiechers and Augusto H. Álvarez.

Square in plan, the building spans 15,000 square meters and rises six levels. Each floor is subdivided into 121 modules arranged in a chessboard-like grid, where the “lines” between modules serve as circulation corridors. Each module was designed to house departmental units ranging from 40 to 100 people.

Rational and systematic, the layout is punctuated by alternating courtyards that extend vertically through all levels. These open spaces not only bring natural light into the interior but also function as acoustic buffers between departments. The building’s structure combines precast and cast-in-place concrete elements, while its façade is clad in polarized glass—preventing views inward while allowing clear views out.

Thanks to its modular character, the building operates as a vast three-dimensional grid, creating strong visual connections across internal plazas, canyons, and corridors. The result is a space of striking complexity, where the clarity of the plan gives rise to unexpected architectural richness.

In 2013, Spanish bank BBVA Bancomer vacated the complex—known as the Bancomer Center in the Santa Fe district—and relocated to a new 60-story tower on Paseo de la Reforma, designed by Legorreta + Legorreta in collaboration with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. In doing so, the bank transitioned from a sprawling horizontal campus on the city’s periphery to a vertical high-rise in the urban core.

Architects: Juan Sordo Madaleno, José Adolfo Wiechers, and Augusto H. Álvarez.

Sources: Juan Sordo Madaleno (1916–1985), Arquine Publishers / La mudanza de Bancomer, Juan José Kochen, Arquine Web, October 15, 2013.