{"id":11133,"date":"2025-05-29T23:29:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T16:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T23:29:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T16:29:36","slug":"brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/","title":{"rendered":"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">milan\u2019s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After a three-year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/renovation-architecture-and-design\/\"><strong>restoration<\/strong><\/a>, Torre Velasca, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-italy\/\"><strong>Milan\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architectural-icons\/\"><strong>iconic<\/strong><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/skyscraper-architecture-and-design\/\"><strong>skyscraper<\/strong>,<\/a> reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/brutalist-architecture\/\"><strong>brutalist<\/strong><\/a>-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR (Banfi, Belgiojoso, Peressutti, and Rogers), the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/concrete-architecture-and-design\/\">concrete<\/a> <\/strong>tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience and experimentation. Now, under the direction of Hines, with Asti Architetti leading the architectural refurbishment and Studio Valerie Traan and Amdl Circle contributing interior and public realm design, Torre Velasca enters a new phase as a hybrid vertical complex that combines <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/residential-architecture-interiors\/\"><strong>residential<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/where-people-work\/\"><strong>corporate<\/strong><\/a>, cultural, and communal uses, anchored by a newly created urban piazza.<\/p>\n<p>all images \u00a9Albo<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Hines and Asti Architetti restore Torre Velasca<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The defining form of the tower, composed of a rational base rising into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses, is preserved in its entirety. Often likened to a medieval fortress or Lombard tower, its bold silhouette remains unchanged, but its skin and systems are carefully upgraded. The original clinker brick facade, one of the most distinctive features of the building, was subjected to extensive restoration, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/astiarchitetti.it\/\"><strong>Milan-based<\/strong><\/a> Asti Architetti for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hines.com\/\"><strong> global real estate firm<\/strong><\/a> Hines, using laser cleaning and manual repair techniques to preserve its original grain and irregularities. Windows, some of which had been replaced with incompatible frames in the decades since its construction, were returned to BBPR\u2019s specifications, reintroducing uniformity and rhythm to the grid.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The restoration also involves an overhaul of the building\u2019s technological core\u2014HVAC, energy efficiency systems, acoustic insulation, and digital infrastructure\u2014earning the project LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold certifications. <em>\u2018The restoration had to be invisible,\u2019<\/em> <strong>explains Paolo Asti.<\/strong> <em>\u2018Every intervention had to match the design logic and constructive intelligence of BBPR, or it didn\u2019t belong.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>after a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca reopens to the public<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">reimagining BBPR\u2019s skyscraper as a civic platform<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Spanning 34,000 square meters of mixed-use program across 29 floors, what was once a gated skyscraper now opens fully to the public. The base now includes flexible event spaces, an exhibition gallery, retail units, and informal lounges. The 75-meter-high tower, once seen as a fortress, now functions as a civic platform. <em>\u2018This isn\u2019t just a real estate project. It\u2019s a return of public dignity to a building that was always meant to be part of the city, not apart from it,\u2019 <\/em><strong>notes Senior Managing Director of Hines Mario Abbadessa.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Internally, public and private programs are layered vertically in a manner that respects the original tripartite structure: a commercial and communal ground plane, a modernist office block midsection, and a residential crown above\u2014now reimagined as the METT Hotel &amp; Lifestyle residences. The 18th floor houses MIA, a new panoramic restaurant designed with restrained luxury, while the mezzanine floors accommodate SUSHISAMBA and other food and wellness amenities. The interiors, curated with the collaboration of Studio Valerie Traan, feature bespoke terrazzo, restored wood paneling, original signage typography, and hand-finished ceramics in an effort to echo the material intelligence of BBPR\u2019s original scheme.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most radical gesture is at street level, where the formerly vehicle-dominated area around the tower has been entirely re-landscaped as Piazza Velasca, a pedestrian piazza paved in natural stone and planted with magnolias, olive trees, and native grasses. Amdl Circle (Michele De Lucchi) led the design of custom benches and lighting, reinterpreting BBPR\u2019s design language in a contemporary idiom. The original street lamps designed by BBPR have also been restored, bridging past and present.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Milan\u2019s iconic skyscraper adopts a fresh identity<\/p>\n<p>first completed in 1958 by the avant-garde collective BBPR<\/p>\n<p>the concrete tower has long stood as a symbol of postwar Italian resilience<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>under the direction of Hines, Asti Architetti leads the architectural refurbishment<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>Torre Velasca enters a new phase<\/p>\n<p>a newly created urban piazza anchors the project<\/p>\n<p>a hybrid vertical complex that combines residential, corporate, cultural, and communal uses<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>its bold silhouette remains unchanged<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>its skin and systems are carefully upgraded<\/p>\n<p>laser cleaning and manual repair techniques preserve the original grain and irregularities of the facade<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>a rational base rises into a dramatic overhanging crown supported by angled buttresses<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>name:<\/strong> Torre Velasca Restoration<\/p>\n<p><strong>location:<\/strong> Milan, Italy<\/p>\n<p><strong>original architects:<\/strong> BBPR (Gian Luigi Banfi, Lodovico Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti, Ernesto Nathan Rogers)<\/p>\n<p><strong>restoration lead architect:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/astiarchitetti.it\/\">Asti Architetti<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/asti_architetti\/\">@asti_architetti<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>developer:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hines.com\/\">Hines Italy<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hines\/\">@hines<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>floor area:<\/strong> 34,000 sqm<\/p>\n<p><strong>height:<\/strong> 75 meters<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>engineering:<\/strong> CEAS (structures), ESA Engineering (MEP)<\/p>\n<p><strong>general contractor:<\/strong> ARS Aedificandi<\/p>\n<p><strong>interior\/public realm collaborators:<\/strong> Amdl Circle, Studio Valerie Traan<\/p>\n<p><strong>heritage supervision:<\/strong> Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la citt\u00e0 metropolitana di Milano<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/architecture\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-milan-mixed-use-tower-public-piazza-hines-asti-architetti-05-29-2025\/\">brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/\">designboom | architecture &amp; design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>milan\u2019s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity \u00a0 After a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca, Milan\u2019s iconic skyscraper, reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its brutalist-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"milan\u2019s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity \u00a0 After a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca, Milan\u2019s iconic skyscraper, reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its brutalist-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog TSK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/\",\"name\":\"Blog TSK\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/\",\"name\":\"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK","og_description":"milan\u2019s brutalist icon returns with new mixed-use identity \u00a0 After a three-year restoration, Torre Velasca, Milan\u2019s iconic skyscraper, reopens to the public with a fresh identity that amplifies its brutalist-modernist legacy. First completed in 1958 &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/","og_site_name":"Blog TSK","article_published_time":"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/","name":"Blog TSK","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/","name":"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza - Blog TSK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-29T16:29:36+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/brutalist-landmark-torre-velasca-reopens-in-milan-as-mixed-use-tower-with-public-piazza\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"brutalist landmark torre velasca reopens in milan as mixed-use tower with public piazza"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11133\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}