Automatic doors integrated into the design and sustainability of the BBVA Tower in Buenos Aires

Catalinas Norte, in the Retiro district of Buenos Aires, is an important business complex with modern office towers and luxury hotels. BBVA built an iconic 33-floor tower in this area, designed by Arquitectónica (Miami) and BMA Arquitectos y Asociados (Argentina). With 155 metres high, it is the tallest in Catalinas Norte and the eleventh tallest in Buenos Aires. Its glazed design maximises natural light and offers 360-degree panoramic views. It is also LEED Gold certified for energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Audoor, Manusa's distributor in Argentina, installed a set of automatic doors to guarantee access aligned with its aesthetics and sustainability standards.

The Manusa solution had to meet multiple requirements. For the entrances of the building, including the main entrance, it was essential to integrate the avant-garde design with high standards of energy efficiency, security, and working comfort. For this purpose, six centrally opening automatic doors with fixed leaves and an integral anti-panic system were installed.

Sustainable and safe automatic doors

In the context of such a building, automatic doors play a key role. In particular, the two doors installed at the main entrance to the tower are perfectly integrated into the glazed design. The costumisation using a dark profiling of their leaves gives continuity to the style of the rectangular glass panes that cover the entire building, delimited by frames of the same colour on all their edges, giving a sense of uniformity and maintaining the simple and elegant style.

The doors reinforce LEED Gold certification by improving the building's energy efficiency and accessibility. The fast and automatic central opening minimises temperature losses by reducing the circulation of air between the interior and exterior, thus optimising energy consumption for air conditioning. This, in turn, means that stable comfort conditions for people inside the building are maintained. Thus, the combination of efficient technology and intelligent design ensures the tower maintains its sustainable building standard.

At the same time, the central opening facilitates fluid and barrier-free access, benefiting employees, visitors, and people with reduced mobility. In this way, the functionality reinforces the building's commitment to the well-being of those who live in it, in line with the principles of sustainable and accessible design promoted by LEED certification.

In terms of safety, the integral panic system allows for quick and safe evacuation in case of an emergency, as the door leaves can be fully opened. In a high-rise building with a capacity of 2,000 people, it is crucial to ensure a smooth evacuation and reduce risks to the occupants.

Thanks to innovative and accessible solutions such as the Manusa automatic doors installed by Audoor, the BBVA Tower has become a benchmark of frontier and sustainable architecture in Buenos Aires.