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Apartment Building Torre al Parco
Via Giuseppe Revere 2, Milano
1953 - 1956
Although
Vico Magistretti had designed a number of buildings prior to this
project, mainly social dwellings for INA Casa, he himself described
this
residential tower as his first building. In this Project he collaborated with Franco Longoni. On their own, they asked the municipality of Milan to permit this site
allocated to the construction of a high-rise building taking advantage of the volume. Their request was successfull and they obtained the permission. The twenty-story
building, overlooking the park, was designed by the architects with services scattered on three underground floors. This layout left part of the underneath
ground unobstructed. The Torre al Parco represents an intersting example of an architecture with clearly defined volume and shape. The building
obviously differs from the average American style skyscraper, which often result in an anonymous superimpositon of equal floors, devoid of an
intentional volumetric configuration. Similar to his contemporary, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Vico Magistretti strives for a new interpretation of
the middle-class urban apartment. The plans of the Torre al Parco show two large residential units per floor, which feature several terraces
and entrances for service staff. Also subordinate components were designed by Vico Magistretti with great care. The superstructures of the elevators and
technical equipment rooms on the roof are formulated as separate bodies with a funnel-shaped termination. The access to the roof is made by
an external spiral staircase of a plastic appearance, which is set on the top floor.
residential tower as his first building. In this Project he collaborated with Franco Longoni. On their own, they asked the municipality of Milan to permit this site
allocated to the construction of a high-rise building taking advantage of the volume. Their request was successfull and they obtained the permission. The twenty-story
building, overlooking the park, was designed by the architects with services scattered on three underground floors. This layout left part of the underneath
ground unobstructed. The Torre al Parco represents an intersting example of an architecture with clearly defined volume and shape. The building
obviously differs from the average American style skyscraper, which often result in an anonymous superimpositon of equal floors, devoid of an
intentional volumetric configuration. Similar to his contemporary, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Vico Magistretti strives for a new interpretation of
the middle-class urban apartment. The plans of the Torre al Parco show two large residential units per floor, which feature several terraces
and entrances for service staff. Also subordinate components were designed by Vico Magistretti with great care. The superstructures of the elevators and
technical equipment rooms on the roof are formulated as separate bodies with a funnel-shaped termination. The access to the roof is made by
an external spiral staircase of a plastic appearance, which is set on the top floor.