Unicentro Cali Shopping Mall

Castro Rojas Ingenieros y Arquitectos Ltda., Bogotá, Cmarca, Colombia

The project was to create the roof for the 45m diameter center yard of a new seven-story cylindrical building in the Unicentro Cali Shopping Mall. The purpose was to provide cover for the escalator and to create a dramatic architectural element with lots of movement.

The architect wanted two intersecting clamshell-like membrane elements suspended seven stories above the central yard, with an opening at the center over the water fountains. This was achieved by designing a 10m long suspended mast from which multiple cables running in approximately radial directions hold the two membrane elements. Precise engineering calculations were required to make sure all the parts would match properly.

The structure has become an architectural icon in Cali, Colombia, and has received excellent reviews from architectural experts. It is not only a structure, it is also a sculptural element that becomes a piece of art at night under the colored lights.