17 fotos

10 years without the Windsor

Madrid - Feb 17, 2015 - 10:48CET

The fire broke out on the night of Saturday, February 12, 2005, creating a column of smoke that could be seen for kilometers around.JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO (EFE)

The blaze began in the 21st-story offices of consultant Deloitte. The cause was never officially cleared up, but a worker had allegedly been smoking inside.ÁLVARO BLANCO (EFE)

The Windsor lacked regulation fire prevention equipment, which caused the flames to rapidly spread.BERNARDO PÉREZ

At 1.10am on Sunday morning part of the top of the building collapsed.BERNARDO PÉREZ

The whole of the nearby Azca pedestrian area, Raimundo Fernández Villaverde street and part of the Paseo de la Castellana were closed off during the night as firefighters battled the blaze, and throughout the following day.CLAUDIO ÁLVAREZ

A column of smoke continued to billow from the building at daybreak on Sunday.CRISTÓBAL MANUEL

By 5am the wind that had fed the flames had finally died down, but firefighters were still unable to extinguish them.CRISTÓBAL MANUEL

As the morning went on, the extent of the damage to the building became clearer.SUSANA VERA (REUTERS)

The skyscraper was reduced to a shell, leaving the owners no choice but to demolish it.CLAUDIO ÁLVAREZ

At 5pm the following day the flames were finally out, but smoke continued to billow from the charred remains.GORKA LEJARCEGI

Once the structure had cooled, police ventured up to collect evidence and investigate the causes of the blaze.ULY MARTÍN

The view from inside the building several days after the blaze.

The symbolic building was now consigned to history.BERNARDO PÉREZ

It wasn’t until some days later that normality returned to the surrounding area.CRISTÓBAL MANUEL

An aerial view reveals the Torre Windsor’s exposed framework of girders and columns.ULY MARTÍN

The demolition work, carried out by articulated robots because of the risk of collapse, took several months.LUIS MAGAN

The Titania building, owned by El Corte Inglés department store chain, now stands on the spot the Windsor once occupied.KIKO HUESCA (EFE)