Latin American development bank – will strengthen its presence in Panama as a regional hub to serve its member countries with the construction of a building in the Obarrio area in Panama City. On an area of 3,201 m2, a sustainable structure will be built that has a design that will prioritize the creation of public space to be appropriated by citizens.

The corporate office building consists of 6 floors above ground with an estimated capacity for 250 workstations and 4 underground parking floors with capacity for 259 parking spaces; and additionally includes spaces such as auditorium, art gallery, semi-public square, and green deck. This year it will begin its construction phase and is expected to be completed in 2026.

The President of the Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, said: “We celebrate and welcome the decision to locate the Executive Presidency of CAF in Panama and hope that we will have the regional hub of this important body in our country very soon.”

The announcement of this important work for the country and the region with an investment of USD 88 million, was made during a founding stone protocol event in which the Director of Public Financing of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Eder Córdoba, participated, and led by the executive president of CAF, Sergio Díaz-Granados, and other invited personalities in which the main milestones of the project and its implementation

“The revitalization of the area where the new CAF offices will be located is called to promote social development, to energize the appropriation of spaces and to promote the cultural activity of Panama City. We want this work to become an essential part of social and cultural life, beyond the contribution to the economic reactivation of the country and the adequacy of the institution to provide a better service to Central America, the Caribbean and the Andean region,” said Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF.

The design of the project for the new CAF offices in Panama City, which will offer a space that will highlight the history of the development path that we accompany from CAF for the new generations, was developed from the International Contest of Architectural Ideas convened by this institution in 2014 in which 21 companies from 8 countries participated; and of which the architecture firm Mallol & Mallol Arquitectos was the winner.The supplier selected for the management of the project is Manhattan PM Panama INC, the result of an International Public Tender.

On the footprint of the land with an area of 3,201 m2, it is proposed to develop a building of 22,000 m2 of construction with the following distribution:

• 7,500 m2 of offices
• 4,000 m2 of Public Program
  • Auditorium
  • Art Gallery
  • Coffee Center
  • Public amphitheater
  • Among other spaces
• 10,500 m2 Parking.

To materialize the building, some sustainability premises have been defined, among which a green roof stands out that will be complemented by a rainwater collection system, which will be for sanitary use and irrigation; the lighting will have a control system ensuring efficiency and energy savings; and the structure will be certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) granted by the US Green Building Council.