Torre Velasca

The Torre Velasca (Velasca Tower, in English) is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership, in Milan, Italy. The tower is part of the first generation of Italian modern architecture, while still being part of the Milanese context in which it was born, to which also belongs the Milan Cathedral and the Sforza Castle.[3]

Torre Velasca
Torre Velasca seen from the roof of Duomo
General information
StatusCompleted
LocationMilan, Italy
Coordinates45°27′36″N 9°11′26″E
Construction started1956[1]
Completed1958[1]
Height
Antenna spire98 m (322 ft)
Top floor75 m (246 ft)
Technical details
Floor count26[2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)BBPR
Main contractorSocietà Generale Immobiliare

The tower, 98 metres (322 ft) tall antenna spire 23 m the heightroof is 75 metres, has a peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape. It stands out in the city skyline, made of domes, buildings and other towers. 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 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 Italian medieval castle.[4] 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 being the mixed functions of residential and commercial use.

The tower is located in the city centre of Milan, Italy, 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 is located right in front of it.

In 2011, the tower was placed under protection as a historic building.[1]

  • Details of the scaffolds and armor of the concrete during construction in 1956
    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 during construction, seen from the Duomo of Milan
    The tower during construction, seen from the Duomo of Milan
  • The tower seen from below
    The tower seen from below
  • Upper floors
    Upper floors
  • The Torre Velasca photographed by Paolo Monti in 1973
    The Torre Velasca photographed by Paolo Monti in 1973

See also

References
  1. Stella, Armando (18 November 2011). "La soprintendenza mette il «vincolo» sulla Torre Velasca" [Superintendent protects the Velasca Tower]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. "Torre Velasca". Housing Prototypes. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  3. In 1957, LIFE magazine said, "Pointing to the eight-story overhang, reminiscent of Lombardy castles, [one of its architects] described the building as 'a sort of medieval nostalgia.'" - LIFE, "Skyscraper in Milan" 2 December 1957, p. 120
  4. "AD Classics: Torre Velasca / BBPR". ArchDaily. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
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