Torre Unicredit | Pelli Clarke & Partners

These three office towers and their podium are the largest components of Porta Nuova Garibaldi, a mixed-​use development north of Milan’s city center. Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects designed the master plan for the 7-​hectare development, which creates a new and grand gateway to the city.

The towers — 31, 22, and 11 stories tall — include Italy’s tallest building, visible from more than six miles away. Spiraling upward, the 31-​story asymmetrical tower culminates in a sculptural stainless steel spire. Like the two smaller towers, the building is clad in reflective glass. Their narrow, curved forms enclose a circular piazza, a new public space that links the buildings to their surroundings. Facing the piazza, the facades incorporate sunshades, emphasizing the buildings’ fluid shape. At the street level, the towers are clad in stone.

Around the piazza, a glass-​and-​steel, ring-​shaped canopy connects the podiums of the three towers. Two levels of shops are above the piazza, with additional retail and dining at the sunken level. In addition to retail, the combined podium contains parking and a direct connection to the Stazione Garibaldi rail station. Extending south, the piazza meets Corso Como, a pedestrian street of fashion shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Each of the buildings is certified LEED Gold. Energy consumption will be reduced by 37 percent through high-​performance glazing, advanced building systems, high efficiency lighting and daylight controls. Inside the buildings, filtered outside air and temperature monitoring systems will create a comfortable working environment. In addition, a direct line of daylight will reach 90 percent of the occupied areas.