Milano - Italia's Skyscraper City

plinko · #1 Posted **Feb 11, 2024, 11:12 PM**

Ah Milan. Italia’s economic and design engine. I’ve been all over Italy, but had never managed to make it to this large metropolis. Headed to Rome from Switzerland last October, I had a bit of extra time and decided to take an overnighter in Milan. There were a number of modern architectural projects I was very interested in seeing, along with the Duomo of course.

Milan was one of the first European cities to embrace the idea of a skyscraper. There were a few 300’+ towers built in the 1950s in the city, but the showstopper was completed in 1958. A joint work between Gio Ponti and Luigi Nervi, the Pirelli Tower was the tallest building in the EU (excepting some churches and observation towers) from 1958 through 1966 and the tallest in Italy through 1995. It is a gem a tower, evoking clean, slick lines, and dominating the skyline near the main train station. This has long been a tower I wanted to see in person, and it did not disappoint.

As always, I took lots of photos…

231005 MILANO 001 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

231005 MILANO 002 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

231005 MILANO 003 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

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The city has gone on to build two fully new skyscraper areas, Porto Nuovo and City Life. I was lucky enough to visit both in my afternoon / evening in the city and came away with very different impressions of each. While Porto Nuovo is closer in, it stiches its way into the surrounding streets and cityscape almost seamlessly. This despite the middle being set aside as a large gorgeous park. The Bosco Verticale, Unicredit, Unipol, and BNP towers, among many others, creates a wonderful and vibrant new city center, weaved into a city thousands of years old. Bosco Verticale in particular was a favorite, a tower with 21! separate tree species on the façade.

231005 MILANO 015 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

231005 MILANO 016 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

231005 MILANO 017 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

231005 MILANO 018 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

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231005 MILANO 046 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

City Life, on the other hand, has many of the same elements as Porto Nuovo, including the tallest new towers in town by Isozaki, Zaha Hadid, and Libeskind, and yet evokes none of the interest or vibrancy as the other area. This cold and rather blah public square, with manicured lawns and harsh concrete shopping plazas is downright boring. I posit that the only thing that saves it is the towers themselves. That being said, those towers could be anywhere. I came away fairly disappointed and thus quickly made my way on the metro toward the Duomo, which was as magical as I had imagined.

231005 MILANO 047 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

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231005 MILANO 062 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

The Duomo and environs, along with a lovely walk back toward my hotel, was amazing of course.

231005 MILANO 063 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

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231005 MILANO 078 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Nonetheless, I enjoyed my day in Milan, but it probably won’t be very high on my list to visit again the next time I’m in Italy.