Torre Velasca, Brutalist skyscraper in Milan, Italy
The Torre Velasca reaches a height of 106 meters with 26 floors and features a concrete structure with a wider upper section above a narrow base.
The architectural firm BBPR designed this building in the 1950s, and its construction was completed in 1958 before opening to the public in 1961.
The tower reflects post-war Italian architecture through its concrete form and structural elements, representing a departure from traditional building designs.
Eight elevators serve the mixed-use building, which contains both office spaces and residential units in the center of Milan near the Missori metro station.
The structure incorporates elements of medieval Lombard fortresses into its modern design, creating a distinct silhouette against the Milan skyline.
Location: Milan
Inception: 1958
Architects: BBPR
Official opening: 1961
Architectural style: brutalist architecture
Floors above the ground: 26
Elevators: 8
Height: 106 m
GPS coordinates: 45.46000,9.19056
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:23
Brutalist architecture emerged in the decades following World War II, producing buildings that challenged conventional design through their honest expression of materials and function. From Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation in Marseille to Louis Kahn's National Assembly in Dhaka, these structures define a global movement that prioritized raw concrete, bold geometric forms and exposed construction elements. The style reached across continents, shaping university libraries in Chicago, government buildings in Boston and Chandigarh, residential towers in London, and cultural centers in São Paulo. Each building reflects the architectural philosophy of its time, when architects sought to create functional spaces through direct expression of structure and material. This collection documents examples from Europe, Asia, North and South America, representing the full range of building types that defined the movement. You'll find administrative complexes that house parliaments and municipal offices, educational facilities serving major universities, residential towers providing urban housing, and cultural institutions including museums and theaters. The structures share common characteristics—concrete left exposed to show its texture and formwork patterns, geometric compositions that emphasize mass and volume, and architectural elements that reveal rather than conceal how buildings stand and function. These sites offer insight into a period when architects reimagined how modern cities could be built and how public spaces could serve their communities.
The Milan skyline displays skyscrapers from different periods. From the historical Pirelli Tower to the new UniCredit Tower, Milan presents itself as a center of architecture. The buildings combine technical innovation with Italian design, as shown by the plant-covered Bosco Verticale and geometric Diamond Tower.
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