Pirelli Tower

The Pirelli-Hochhaus stands in Milan’s business district as a 32-storey skyscraper, its tapered sides and curtain-wall façades giving it an elegant silhouette. The building occupies a pentagonal plot where the Pirelli tyre company’s first factory opened in the 19th century. At 127 metres it was Italy’s tallest structure when completed in 1958, a title it held until the Mole Antonelliana’s spire was restored. Architect Gio Ponti designed the tower with engineers Pier Luigi Nervi and Arturo Danusso, creating one of the first skyscrapers to abandon the traditional block form. The historian Hasan-Uddin Khan later called it “one of the most elegant tall buildings in the world.” The tower became a symbol of Italy’s post-war recovery and Milan’s economic revival. In 1978 the Lombardy regional government bought the building from the Pirelli company, turning it into an executive headquarters. A 2002 plane crash killed three people when a single-engine aircraft struck the upper floors, prompting restoration that preserved both structure and artistic detail. The crash also led to upgrades in support services and technology while maintaining the original design. Visitors find a sleek office tower whose lobby and lift areas feature polished marble and bronze finishes. The surrounding low-rise buildings sit on the same pentagonal site, keeping the skyscraper as the district’s focal point. From nearby streets the tapered shape and glass walls catch the light, while the base’s broad plaza offers space to pause. The building’s influence appears in later skyscrapers abroad, yet in Milan it remains a local landmark.