Constructed from 1973 to 1978 and opened in 1979, it has a total height of 196 metres (643 ft), becoming the tallest skyscraper of Colombia and holding that title until 2016, when the south tower of the BD Bacatá was topped off.

Since 1998, the Colpatria Tower was illuminated every night with thirty-six color changing Xenon lights.

The Torre Colpatria's complex includes a separate ten-floor building, built to give contrast to the main tower's height.

Both its central location in Bogota and its height make the Torre Colpatria one of the city's most important observatories.

Since 2005, a tower running race takes place on December 8 to climb the nine hundred eighty steps up, where participants, in groups of ten competitors, start every half minute.