The Torre Velasca (Velasca Tower in English), named by the citizens of Milano as the “tower with braces”, is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership in Milan, Italy. Built between 1955 and 1957, it is one of the few Italian examples of post-rationalist architecture. The tower, with a soaring height of over 106 meters and 27 floors, has a peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape. The building responds to its prominent location near the Milan Cathedral in the city’s historic center.
With its 27 floors rising to a height of 106 meters and its characteristic “mushroom” shape, Torre Velasca is one of the most important post-war architectural works
The design of the building is something absolutely innovative and cutting-edge in terms of construction methods and conception. More specifically, the use of reinforced concrete was a revolutionary new technology that made it possible to develop innovative and bold building and aesthetic solutions. The building was created between 1956 and 1958 to rebuild the lot overlooking the 17th-century square bearing the same name, named after the Spanish governor Juan de Velasco, following the bombing of the Second World War.
The upper third of the building, which protrudes outward from the lower levels, was designed to resemble medieval watchtowers. Such defense towers were used in times of war to protect Italian castles from invasion. By using the Torre Velasca to build upon the ideas of ancient architecture, BBPR was able to connect the modern building to its historic past and keep the design of the new addition from feeling out of place.
