On Friday, October 11, 2013, in the morning hours, the inhabitants of the Space building contacted the Administrative Department of Disaster Risk Management (DAGRD), which manages the official fire department of Medellín, requesting an inspection of the building.

According to press reports, at 9:10 AM the inhabitants of tower 6 heard a roar. [12]​One of the residents reported that her apartment "was as cracked as if it had been shaken by an earthquake."[13]​ Other residents reported cracks in balconies, kitchens, walls, and elevators of "at least five centimeters."[14]​.

After a review, Lérida CDO informed the residents of the building that there were no risks.[13] Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal, a calculating engineer and person responsible for the structural design of the building, expressed the same sentiment, who hours before the Space collapse told the media that the structural damage that had occurred in tower 6 "does not imply any danger of collapse of the building."[15]​.

But the DAGRD considered that the damage that occurred in the building, because column S3, located on the fourth floor of stage 6, had failed,[10]​ warranted ordering the evacuation of said stage.[8]​[16]​In this way, 51 families living in tower 6 had to leave the building until the construction company made repairs that would guarantee the safety of the building, as well as a pathological study of the structure.[14]​.

The construction company also initially assumed payment for the evacuees' stay in hotels or rental subsidies, and anticipated that the repair of the building would take about 4 or 5 days.[14]​.

Following the evacuation order issued by the Mayor's Office of Medellín for Tower 6 of the Space Building, the construction company Lérida CDO decided to send crews of workers to repair the structural failure detected.[17]​ The procedure consisted of reinforcing the affected column using a "metallic structural complement".[12]​.

To carry out this task, Lérida CDO hired the company Ingeomed, founded by brothers Juan Carlos and Jaime Botero, who were in charge of "sheathing" the damaged column. They had the support of welders Luis Alfonso Marín and Albeiro Alcaraz, as well as workers from the Concretodo firm, which selected the employees for the repair work. Among them were Álvaro José Bolívar Cañola, industrial mechanic, and the workers Ricardo Castañeda, James Arango and Iván Darío González Álvarez.[18]​.

While workers were working on reinforcing the damaged column, the entire stage 6 collapsed on October 12, 2013 at 8:17 p.m. m.[19]​.

While the teams were working on reinforcing the column, Tower 6 suddenly collapsed. The collapse left 12 dead and 2 injured. Among the fatalities, 10 were workers carrying out reinforcement work; one was Wbeimar Contreras, a security guard who was on his first night of duty in the building, and Juan Esteban Cantor, a resident who had entered the parking lot moments before the disaster.[9]​.

For rescue efforts, the Official Fire Department of Medellín was deployed, with the support of other units from the Aburrá valley. There was also the support of 20 ambulances, 12 rescue units and more than 100 volunteers.[20]​.

After the collapse, the case was the subject of multiple investigations by local and national authorities to determine the causes of the disaster. The initial investigations, commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Medellín to the Universidad de los Andes "Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)"), revealed that the collapse was a consequence of structural failures derived from deficiencies in the design and construction of the building, as well as the use of low-quality materials and poor inspection by the construction company.

As a result of the investigations, legal proceedings were initiated against the company Lérida CDO and others involved in the design, construction and supervision of the project. In criminal matters, the Attorney General's Office investigated Pablo Villegas Mesa (manager of Lérida CDO), María Cecilia Posada (project director) and Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal Ochoa (calculation engineer) for the manslaughter of Juan Esteban Cantor. This occurred after the construction company negotiated compensation to the families of the 11 deceased workers, thus leading to the closure of their cases.

Despite this, the Cantor family insisted on the criminal process, which led to a Medellín judge on January 22, 2018 condemning Villegas, Posada and Aristizábal for the manslaughter of Cantor. These sentences, ratified in July 2018 by the Superior Court of Medellín, were finally.

The construction company was declared responsible for the damages and deaths caused by the collapse, which led to legal and economic sanctions. Additionally, Colombia's Superintendency of Industry and Commerce imposed fines and ordered the demolition of the remaining towers in the Space complex, a process that concluded in 2014.

On January 20, 2014, researchers from the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad de los Andes "Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)") determined that the building should be partially demolished, since the lack of structural capacity of the building's columns did not allow them to withstand the normal loads to which they were subjected. According to the conclusions, if the building had been designed with all the requirements of Law 400 of 1997, tower 6 would not have collapsed.[21]​.

On February 27, 2014, tower 5 of the Space building was demolished but the necessary mechanisms for the complete demolition of the structure were not met.[22]​[23]​ On September 23, 2014, what remained of the apartment building was completely demolished after tower 5 was demolished.[24]​[25]​[26]​ This event made the housing minister of the moment, Luis Felipe Hainaut, created the law called Antispace to stop the construction of buildings that did not rigorously comply with the requirements of Law 400 of 1997.[27]​.

After the collapse of stage 6, the entire building was evacuated, the Mayor's Office of Medellín hired the Universidad de los Andes to carry out the respective investigations to determine the most probable causes of the collapse of the portion of the building corresponding to stage 6.[28]​.

According to the study carried out and the conclusions delivered to the Mayor's Office by the University of the Andes,[29][30][31]​ the collapse of stage 6 was mainly related to the lack of structural capacity of the columns of the Space Building. These, according to the study, were not able to withstand the normal loads to which they were subjected. According to the conclusions, if the building had been designed with all the requirements of Law 400 of '97, stage six would not have collapsed.[28][7][32]​.

On February 27, 2014, tower 5 of the Space building was demolished.[22][23] On September 23, 2014, what remained of the apartment building was completely demolished after tower 5 was demolished.[25][26]​

This event caused the housing minister at the time, Luis Felipe Henao, to create the law called Antispace to stop the construction of buildings that did not rigorously comply with the requirements of Law 400 of 1997.[33]​.

In April 2018, professors Luis Enrique García, Francisco Correal and Luis Eduardo Yamín received the ACI Design Award from the American Concrete Institute for the research results of the collapse of the Space Building.[34][35]​.

The collapse of the Space Building in Medellín in 2013 triggered multiple legal processes that involved the construction company Lérida CDO, its directors, engineers and municipal authorities.

In criminal matters, the Attorney General's Office investigated the responsibility of Villegas Mesa (manager of Lérida CDO), María Cecilia Posada (project director) and Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal Ochoa (calculation engineer) for the death of Juan Esteban Cantor, the only Space resident who died in the tragedy.

In January 2018, the First Criminal Court of the Medellín Circuit sentenced these managers and engineers to sentences between 49 and 51 months in prison for manslaughter.[36]​.

In July 2018, the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Medellín confirmed the conviction in the second instance, highlighting the existence of approximately 6,000 errors in the construction and the inappropriate use of materials.[37]​.

Subsequently, the defense filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice. In June 2019, the Court ordered the immediate and unconditional release of those convicted, considering that Juan Esteban Cantor's family had been fully compensated, which extinguished the criminal action according to current legislation.[38]​[39]​.

For its part, the National Professional Council of Engineering (COPNIA)&action=edit&redlink=1 "National Professional Council of Engineering (COPNIA) (not yet drafted)") of Colombia carried out an investigation into those responsible for the design, review and construction of the building which resulted after three and a half years and in the second instance the following sanctions:[40]​[41]​.

• - Structural designer (Jorge Aristizábal): Cancellation of professional registration for life.

• - Structural reviewer (Edgar Ardila): Cancellation of professional registration for life.

• - Builders of the building (María Cecilia Posada and Pablo Villegas): Suspension of professional registration between 20 and 22 months.

• - Soil study (Bernardo Vieco): Suspension of professional registration for 6 months.

In September 2022, the Administrative Court of Antioquia sentenced the Municipality of Medellín and the construction company Lérida CDO to pay approximately $30,000 million to those affected by the collapse of the Space Building, recognizing shared responsibility in the tragedy. [42]​.

• - Space Building goal.

• - Space Building site after the collapse.

• - Detail of the elevator pit in the Space Building.

• - Building collapse in Savar in 2013.

• - Case of the Space Building.

• - Images of the collapse of the Space Building.

• - Questions and uncertainty that generated the collapse of the Space building.

• - Video of the Space building implosion Archived October 6, 2014 at the Wayback Machine.

• - Information page about the tragedy.

On Friday, October 11, 2013, in the morning hours, the inhabitants of the Space building contacted the Administrative Department of Disaster Risk Management (DAGRD), which manages the official fire department of Medellín, requesting an inspection of the building.

According to press reports, at 9:10 AM the inhabitants of tower 6 heard a roar. [12]​One of the residents reported that her apartment "was as cracked as if it had been shaken by an earthquake."[13]​ Other residents reported cracks in balconies, kitchens, walls, and elevators of "at least five centimeters."[14]​.

After a review, Lérida CDO informed the residents of the building that there were no risks.[13] Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal, a calculating engineer and person responsible for the structural design of the building, expressed the same sentiment, who hours before the Space collapse told the media that the structural damage that had occurred in tower 6 "does not imply any danger of collapse of the building."[15]​.

But the DAGRD considered that the damage that occurred in the building, because column S3, located on the fourth floor of stage 6, had failed,[10]​ warranted ordering the evacuation of said stage.[8]​[16]​In this way, 51 families living in tower 6 had to leave the building until the construction company made repairs that would guarantee the safety of the building, as well as a pathological study of the structure.[14]​.

The construction company also initially assumed payment for the evacuees' stay in hotels or rental subsidies, and anticipated that the repair of the building would take about 4 or 5 days.[14]​.

Following the evacuation order issued by the Mayor's Office of Medellín for Tower 6 of the Space Building, the construction company Lérida CDO decided to send crews of workers to repair the structural failure detected.[17]​ The procedure consisted of reinforcing the affected column using a "metallic structural complement".[12]​.

To carry out this task, Lérida CDO hired the company Ingeomed, founded by brothers Juan Carlos and Jaime Botero, who were in charge of "sheathing" the damaged column. They had the support of welders Luis Alfonso Marín and Albeiro Alcaraz, as well as workers from the Concretodo firm, which selected the employees for the repair work. Among them were Álvaro José Bolívar Cañola, industrial mechanic, and the workers Ricardo Castañeda, James Arango and Iván Darío González Álvarez.[18]​.

While workers were working on reinforcing the damaged column, the entire stage 6 collapsed on October 12, 2013 at 8:17 p.m. m.[19]​.

While the teams were working on reinforcing the column, Tower 6 suddenly collapsed. The collapse left 12 dead and 2 injured. Among the fatalities, 10 were workers carrying out reinforcement work; one was Wbeimar Contreras, a security guard who was on his first night of duty in the building, and Juan Esteban Cantor, a resident who had entered the parking lot moments before the disaster.[9]​.

For rescue efforts, the Official Fire Department of Medellín was deployed, with the support of other units from the Aburrá valley. There was also the support of 20 ambulances, 12 rescue units and more than 100 volunteers.[20]​.

After the collapse, the case was the subject of multiple investigations by local and national authorities to determine the causes of the disaster. The initial investigations, commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Medellín to the Universidad de los Andes "Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)"), revealed that the collapse was a consequence of structural failures derived from deficiencies in the design and construction of the building, as well as the use of low-quality materials and poor inspection by the construction company.

As a result of the investigations, legal proceedings were initiated against the company Lérida CDO and others involved in the design, construction and supervision of the project. In criminal matters, the Attorney General's Office investigated Pablo Villegas Mesa (manager of Lérida CDO), María Cecilia Posada (project director) and Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal Ochoa (calculation engineer) for the manslaughter of Juan Esteban Cantor. This occurred after the construction company negotiated compensation to the families of the 11 deceased workers, thus leading to the closure of their cases.

Despite this, the Cantor family insisted on the criminal process, which led to a Medellín judge on January 22, 2018 condemning Villegas, Posada and Aristizábal for the manslaughter of Cantor. These sentences, ratified in July 2018 by the Superior Court of Medellín, were finally.

The construction company was declared responsible for the damages and deaths caused by the collapse, which led to legal and economic sanctions. Additionally, Colombia's Superintendency of Industry and Commerce imposed fines and ordered the demolition of the remaining towers in the Space complex, a process that concluded in 2014.

On January 20, 2014, researchers from the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad de los Andes "Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)") determined that the building should be partially demolished, since the lack of structural capacity of the building's columns did not allow them to withstand the normal loads to which they were subjected. According to the conclusions, if the building had been designed with all the requirements of Law 400 of 1997, tower 6 would not have collapsed.[21]​.

On February 27, 2014, tower 5 of the Space building was demolished but the necessary mechanisms for the complete demolition of the structure were not met.[22]​[23]​ On September 23, 2014, what remained of the apartment building was completely demolished after tower 5 was demolished.[24]​[25]​[26]​ This event made the housing minister of the moment, Luis Felipe Hainaut, created the law called Antispace to stop the construction of buildings that did not rigorously comply with the requirements of Law 400 of 1997.[27]​.

After the collapse of stage 6, the entire building was evacuated, the Mayor's Office of Medellín hired the Universidad de los Andes to carry out the respective investigations to determine the most probable causes of the collapse of the portion of the building corresponding to stage 6.[28]​.

According to the study carried out and the conclusions delivered to the Mayor's Office by the University of the Andes,[29][30][31]​ the collapse of stage 6 was mainly related to the lack of structural capacity of the columns of the Space Building. These, according to the study, were not able to withstand the normal loads to which they were subjected. According to the conclusions, if the building had been designed with all the requirements of Law 400 of '97, stage six would not have collapsed.[28][7][32]​.

On February 27, 2014, tower 5 of the Space building was demolished.[22][23] On September 23, 2014, what remained of the apartment building was completely demolished after tower 5 was demolished.[25][26]​

This event caused the housing minister at the time, Luis Felipe Henao, to create the law called Antispace to stop the construction of buildings that did not rigorously comply with the requirements of Law 400 of 1997.[33]​.

In April 2018, professors Luis Enrique García, Francisco Correal and Luis Eduardo Yamín received the ACI Design Award from the American Concrete Institute for the research results of the collapse of the Space Building.[34][35]​.

The collapse of the Space Building in Medellín in 2013 triggered multiple legal processes that involved the construction company Lérida CDO, its directors, engineers and municipal authorities.

In criminal matters, the Attorney General's Office investigated the responsibility of Villegas Mesa (manager of Lérida CDO), María Cecilia Posada (project director) and Jorge de Jesús Aristizábal Ochoa (calculation engineer) for the death of Juan Esteban Cantor, the only Space resident who died in the tragedy.

In January 2018, the First Criminal Court of the Medellín Circuit sentenced these managers and engineers to sentences between 49 and 51 months in prison for manslaughter.[36]​.

In July 2018, the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Medellín confirmed the conviction in the second instance, highlighting the existence of approximately 6,000 errors in the construction and the inappropriate use of materials.[37]​.

Subsequently, the defense filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice. In June 2019, the Court ordered the immediate and unconditional release of those convicted, considering that Juan Esteban Cantor's family had been fully compensated, which extinguished the criminal action according to current legislation.[38]​[39]​.

For its part, the National Professional Council of Engineering (COPNIA)&action=edit&redlink=1 "National Professional Council of Engineering (COPNIA) (not yet drafted)") of Colombia carried out an investigation into those responsible for the design, review and construction of the building which resulted after three and a half years and in the second instance the following sanctions:[40]​[41]​.

• - Structural designer (Jorge Aristizábal): Cancellation of professional registration for life.

• - Structural reviewer (Edgar Ardila): Cancellation of professional registration for life.

• - Builders of the building (María Cecilia Posada and Pablo Villegas): Suspension of professional registration between 20 and 22 months.

• - Soil study (Bernardo Vieco): Suspension of professional registration for 6 months.

In September 2022, the Administrative Court of Antioquia sentenced the Municipality of Medellín and the construction company Lérida CDO to pay approximately $30,000 million to those affected by the collapse of the Space Building, recognizing shared responsibility in the tragedy. [42]​.

• - Space Building goal.

• - Space Building site after the collapse.

• - Detail of the elevator pit in the Space Building.

• - Building collapse in Savar in 2013.

• - Case of the Space Building.

• - Images of the collapse of the Space Building.

• - Questions and uncertainty that generated the collapse of the Space building.

• - Video of the Space building implosion Archived October 6, 2014 at the Wayback Machine.

• - Information page about the tragedy.