Pirelli Tower
Milan, Italy
Exterior only
Visible from the street; the inside is private.
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Designed by Gio Ponti and completed in 1960, the Pirelli Tower (Grattacielo Pirelli) is a 32-storey, 127-metre modernist skyscraper that dominates Milan's skyline. Rising from a narrow rectangular base of 75.5 by 20.5 metres, the structure is defined by a bold structural skeleton, curtain wall façades, and distinctively tapered sides—a radical departure from the blocky forms that dominated earlier tower design. Built from approximately 30,000 cubic metres of concrete and weighing nearly 70,000 tonnes, it briefly stood as Italy's tallest building upon completion. Architectural historian Hasan-Uddin Khan hailed it as "one of the most elegant tall buildings in the world," praising its contribution to skyscraper vocabulary. Its influence extended internationally, inspiring such notable buildings as the Pan Am Building in New York and structures in Auckland and Barcelona. Now recognized as Italian national heritage, the Pirelli Tower remains a landmark of modernist ambition and refined proportional design.
Architect
Movement
- Built
- Type
- skyscraper
- Materials
- concrete, glass, steel
- Heritage
- Italian national heritage
- Height
- 110 m
- Place
- Milan, Italy
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Location