1950s During World War II, Milan was subject to substantial
bombing from allied forces. Reconstruction of the city took place quickly after the war, and the city's economy benefited from the
Italian economic miracle that lasted until the 1960s. Milan was one of Italy's most important industrial centres As a result, a significant number of high-rises were built in Milan in the 1950s. One early example was the 21-storey
Centro Svizzero (Swiss Centre) built in 1952, to serve as the new headquarters of the Swiss Circle of Milan, whose earlier premises were destroyed during the war. The tower was built in the
International style that was exemplified by buildings such as the
United Nations Secretariat Building in New York City. It became the tallest building in Milan for two years, until it was overtaken by the Breda Tower. The
Breda Tower, built in 1954, is famous for being the first building to cross the height of the
Milan Cathedral, making it Milan's tallest free-standing structure. The building features several distinguishing elements, such as bow windows and terraces on its sides and the use of color on the facade covered with turquoise ceramic stoneware, expressing "a strong rejection of monotony".
Torre Velasca, built in the historic city centre near the cathedral, is a 26-storey mixed-use skyscraper, best known for its distinctive mushroom-like shape. Its structure recalls the
Lombard tradition of
medieval fortresses and towers, each having a massive profile. In such fortresses, the lower parts were always narrower, while the higher parts were propped up by wood or stone beams. As a consequence, the shape of this building is said to be the result of a modern interpretation of the typical medieval Italian castle. In 1958, the
Pirelli Building was completed, which surpassed the Breda Tower as Milan's tallest building. At a height of 127 m (417 ft), it would remain the tallest building in Milan and Italy for over four decades. Characterized by a structural skeleton,
curtain wall façades and tapered sides, it was among the first skyscrapers to abandon the customary block form. Built for the
Pirelli tyre company, it went on to inspire the design for the
MetLife Building in New York City and the
Banco Sabadell Tower in
Barcelona. Many of Milan's early high-rises, including the Pirelli Building and the Breda Tower were located within the then-new business district of
Centro Direzionale, which was developed from the 1950s to the early 1960s.
1960s–1990s in 2007 High-rise development continued in the early 1960s, with modernist buildings such as the Torre Servizi Tecnici Comunali being built in 1963 and
Porta Romana Tower in 1965. Around this time, eight residential high-rises were completed in the southern district of
Gratosoglio to address the need for housing, largely using
prefabricated blocks. Designed with the intention of being a
“self-sufficient district”, the towers were built up to a height of 56 m (184 ft), and the district has since become known as a troubled"
dormitory district". From the mid-1960s, Milan would enter a period where high-rise construction was largely absent, with no notable skyscrapers being completed in the 1970s and 1980s. The city's economy itself was affected by the so-called
Years of lead, which saw a surge of street violence,
labour strikes and
political terrorism. In 1970, the
Regional Council of Lombardy moved their meeting place to the Pirelli Building. Milan's economy and image was revived in the 1980s, and the city became known as one of the
world's fashion capitals. The
Garibaldi Towers, the first buildings to reach a height of 100 m (328 ft) since the 1950s, were completed in 1992. Built by Italy's state railway company,
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, the twin buildings are located next to
Porta Garibaldi railway station. In 2012, the towers underwent a renovation to make them more environmentally sustainable, with the addition of solar and photovoltaic panels, natural ventilation, interactive facades, and bioclimatic greenhouses on every floor.
2000s , seen under construction in 2010 At the turn of the 21st century, Milan was already changing from a primarily industrial city to an increasingly service-based one. The area where the
Porta Nuova business district now sits was occupied by industrial land and unused railyards. Plans for a new 290,000 square metre project by developer COIMA were approved in 2005, and construction began in 2009. The name of Porta Nuova ("New Gate") was chosen for the well-preserved
neoclassic gate built in 1810 on the site. The first skyscrapers in the district were completed in the early 2010s, with the
Palazzo Lombardia being completed in 2011, briefly being Milan's tallest building at 161 m (529 ft). The building serves as the seat of the regional government of
Lombardy. Milan's current tallest building,
Unicredit Tower, was completed in 2012. At a height of 218 m (714 ft), Unicredit Tower is the tallest building in Italy, mainly due to its 80.5 m (264 ft) spire. It houses the headquarters of
UniCredit, Italy's largest bank by assets. The architecture of Porta Nuova is seen as a departure from Italy's traditional urban form. Development in Porta Nuova continued in the 2010s. One of Milan's most well-known skyscrapers are the two residential towers of
Bosco Verticale, completed in Porta Nuova in 2014. The name of the complex translates to "Vertical Forest", referring to the 480 large and medium trees, 300 small trees, 11,000 perennial and covering plants, and 5,000 shrubs throughout the buildings, promoting an environmentally friendly "urban ecosystem". This is reflective of the "biophilic" design of Porta Nuova in general, which has ample green spaces and flora along pedestrian walkways. Milan's other major skyscraper cluster is
CityLife, which sits on the historic "Fiera Campionaria" district. It used to hold the fair grounds for the
Fiera Milano trade fair until 2005, when the trade fair was moved to
Fiera Milano Rho. The area, about 250,000 square metres (2.69 million sq ft), was the subject of an international tender in 2004, and construction began in 2007. The development is centered around three office skyscrapers, which make up the second, third, and fourth-tallest buildings in Milan. The first to be built was
Allianz Tower, completed in 2015. Housing the headquarters of the Italian subsidiary of the German financial services company
Allianz, the tower's glass facade creates distinct rounded forms.
Generali Tower, built in 2018, is a
twisting skyscraper designed by
Zaha Hadid, and hosts offices of Italian insurance company
Assicurazioni Generali. Lastly the curved
Libeskind Tower, or PwC Tower, was completed in 2020. Besides the three main towers, CityLife also includes the high-rise apartment developments of Hadid Residences, Libeskind Residences, a cultural pavilion, public spaces, and a mall.
2020s–present The Porta Nuova district has continued to grow with additions such as
Gioia 22 in 2020 and
Unipol Tower in 2023. Construction is underway on a fourth major tower in the CityLife district. Known as CityWave (also known as "Il Portico", or "The Porch" in English), the uniquely shaped building, wider than it is tall, resembles a giant, curved canopy with a "giant" sweeping rooftop. It is described as being "neither high-rise or low-rise", but a hybrid between the two by architects
Bjarke Ingles Group. Residential high-rise development is also becoming more common across Milan, mainly in the
Cascina Merlata district, where the Expo Village for Milan's
Expo 2015 was built. After the expo, further towers have been added to the growing cluster, such as the 25-storey Città Contemporanea 2.0 in 2020. Notable completions elsewhere include TorreMilano (2022) and Torre Aurora near CityLife. A major regeneration scheme is expected to occur on the former Scalo Farini railyard, northwest of Porta Nuova. Redevelopment of the 360,000 square metre (3.9 sq mi) site could potentially add a significant number of high-rises to Milan's skyline. == Cityscape ==