Torre Velasca
Building in Milan, Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Torre Velasca ("Velasca Tower") is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership, in Milan, Italy. The construction was achieved in 1958, and inaugurated in 1961. Measuring 106 metres (348 ft) in height to the roof, the tower has 26 stories.[3] The building is considered one of the few Italian examples of post-rationalist brutalist architecture.[4]
| Torre Velasca | |
|---|---|
 Torre Velasca seen from the roof of Duomo | |
 Interactive map of the Torre Velasca area | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | Milan, Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°27′36″N 9°11′26″E |
| Construction started | 1956[1] |
| Completed | 1958[1] |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 98 m (322 ft) |
| Top floor | 75 m (246 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 26[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | BBPR |
| Main contractor | Società Generale Immobiliare |
The tower is located in the city centre of Milan, near the Duomo (Milan Cathedral) and the headquarters of the University of Milan, between the streets corso di Porta Romana and via Larga. One of the exits of the Missori metro station, on line 3, is located right in front of it.
In 2011, the tower was placed under protection as a historic building.[1]
Description
The Torre Velasca is known for its peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape that stands out in the city skyline. Its structure recalls the Lombard tradition, made of medieval fortresses and towers, each having a massive profile. In such fortresses, the lower parts were always narrower, while the higher parts were propped up by wood or stone beams. As a consequence, the shape of this building is the result of a modern interpretation of the typical medieval Italian castle.[5][6] At the same time, BBPR in this building satisfied the functional needs of space: narrower surfaces on the ground, wider and more spacious ones on the top floors. The town planning laws, then, imposed specific volumes (depending on the buildings' purpose); in this tower, the latter were the mixed functions of residential and commercial use.
History
In 1949, the Municipality of Milan granted Ri.C.E. (Ricostruzione Comparti Edilizi) a permit to construct "a multi-storey mixed-use building for commercial and residential purposes" on a redeveloped public land site devastated by heavy Anglo-American bombing during World War II.[7]
Lead by BBPR (Gian Luigi Banfi, Lodovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti, Ernesto Nathan Rogers), the tower's design studies started in 1950, in collaboration with the Turin-based engineer Arturo Danusso. Immediatly directed towards creating a new symbol of Milan's post-war dynamism, the envisioned project was a skyscraper entirely built in steel and glass. Due to the high cost of the material and the national production capacity of the time, this initial proposal was abandoned; BBPR instead opted for a reinforced concrete structure with stone cladding. This solution reduced costs by the quarter and was better suited for the city's architectural context.[8]
Between 1952 and 1955, the building’s final design was completed and approved by the client. The tower was executed between 1956 and 1957. Construction lasted 292 days, concluding eight days ahead of schedule.
Reception and criticism
Gallery
Details of the scaffolds and armor of the concrete during construction in 1956
The tower during construction, seen from the Duomo of Milan
The tower during construction, seen from the Duomo of Milan
The tower seen from below
Upper floors
The Torre Velasca photographed by Paolo Monti in 1973
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Popular culture
In 2015, the Velasca tower is chosen by the newborn milanese football team AS Velasca and becomes its primary visual identity.[9]
