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Office Building Pirelli Tower
Piazza Duca D`Aosta 1, Milano
1954 - 1956
In
the late 1950s rose the Pirelli skyscraper in the vicinity of the
Central Station of Milan. This building was designed with the
contribution
of many professionals, and stands out as an unmistakable symbol of Gio Ponti's design method. The tower reaches a height of 127 meters,
and is a reinforced concrete structure. At the time of its construction, it was one of the first skyscrapers in Europe, and the tallest european structure
made in reinforced concrete. The building was an impressive sign for the economic reovery in the post-war Italy. In 1956 Gio Ponti wrote in Domus:
"The structure identifies with freestanding architecture. Four hollow pillars at the opposite ends, four cross central bearing pillars resistant to a 150km/h wind,
the lift shaft, the office vertical structure and the hydraulic ducts. Among the four central pillars, a body unfolding for twenty four metres."
The skyscraper was built as an office building and headquarters of the Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli. It stands on a plot on which earlier was the site
for workshops of the same company, which, however, were destroyed by bombing during the war. With the construction of the skyscraper the Pirelli company
pursued the intention to create a prestigeous building. Originally, the Pirelli Directorate turned to Giuseppe Valtolina and Egidio Dell'Orto. They gave the job to Gio Ponti.
Pier Luigi Nervi, who was a leading engineer at this time, was also called for this construction. Nervi helped Ponti to reduce the structure of the building
according to his imagination. The structure follows the flow of the forces. The piers are tapered over the 31 floors, reducing the thickness from approximately 2m to 50 cm.
The tapering structure is visible on the facade. 29 of the 31 stories are used as open-plan offices. On the top double storey is located a covered panorama terrace.
This terrace is also intended for representative events. In the basement there is also an auditorium.
If the Montecatini office building represents the "climax" of the early career of Gion Ponti, the Pirelli Tower is as representative of his maturity.
The Pirelli Skyscraper and the Montecatini headquarters are both office builidings, in which the impactful architectural expression is strongly
connected to the complex study of functionality at the heart of the theme adressed. With the Pirelli Tower Gio Ponti achieved what he
considered to be fundamental to a truly free design. In this case we are speaking of a building that is truly a freestanding body. The shape
of the building distinguishes it from the anonymous, repetitive configurations which are typical for the American skyscrapers. The size and
appearance conceived by Gio Ponti make the Pirelli Tower stand out as a unique architecture. The effect is comparable to what was achieved
by BBPR with the Torre Velasca, just with different expressions. The two towers belong to the key distinguishing marks of the city of Milan.
In particular the Pirelli Tower ranks among the buildings which not only won Ponti a great reputation, but especially abroad, represent the city of Milan.
of many professionals, and stands out as an unmistakable symbol of Gio Ponti's design method. The tower reaches a height of 127 meters,
and is a reinforced concrete structure. At the time of its construction, it was one of the first skyscrapers in Europe, and the tallest european structure
made in reinforced concrete. The building was an impressive sign for the economic reovery in the post-war Italy. In 1956 Gio Ponti wrote in Domus:
"The structure identifies with freestanding architecture. Four hollow pillars at the opposite ends, four cross central bearing pillars resistant to a 150km/h wind,
the lift shaft, the office vertical structure and the hydraulic ducts. Among the four central pillars, a body unfolding for twenty four metres."
The skyscraper was built as an office building and headquarters of the Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli. It stands on a plot on which earlier was the site
for workshops of the same company, which, however, were destroyed by bombing during the war. With the construction of the skyscraper the Pirelli company
pursued the intention to create a prestigeous building. Originally, the Pirelli Directorate turned to Giuseppe Valtolina and Egidio Dell'Orto. They gave the job to Gio Ponti.
Pier Luigi Nervi, who was a leading engineer at this time, was also called for this construction. Nervi helped Ponti to reduce the structure of the building
according to his imagination. The structure follows the flow of the forces. The piers are tapered over the 31 floors, reducing the thickness from approximately 2m to 50 cm.
The tapering structure is visible on the facade. 29 of the 31 stories are used as open-plan offices. On the top double storey is located a covered panorama terrace.
This terrace is also intended for representative events. In the basement there is also an auditorium.
If the Montecatini office building represents the "climax" of the early career of Gion Ponti, the Pirelli Tower is as representative of his maturity.
The Pirelli Skyscraper and the Montecatini headquarters are both office builidings, in which the impactful architectural expression is strongly
connected to the complex study of functionality at the heart of the theme adressed. With the Pirelli Tower Gio Ponti achieved what he
considered to be fundamental to a truly free design. In this case we are speaking of a building that is truly a freestanding body. The shape
of the building distinguishes it from the anonymous, repetitive configurations which are typical for the American skyscrapers. The size and
appearance conceived by Gio Ponti make the Pirelli Tower stand out as a unique architecture. The effect is comparable to what was achieved
by BBPR with the Torre Velasca, just with different expressions. The two towers belong to the key distinguishing marks of the city of Milan.
In particular the Pirelli Tower ranks among the buildings which not only won Ponti a great reputation, but especially abroad, represent the city of Milan.