The architectural frenzy of the city of Milan started back on the 11th of May 2011 when the MICO Milan Convention Centre was officially opened.
Designed by architect Mario Bellini the MICO features an impressive art work made of iron which covers the entire rooftop of the convention centre. The Milanese people called it the comet. This stunning piece of architecture has now become a landmark of the city, an emblem that distinguish the urban soul of Milan.
A few months after the big opening of the convention centre of Milan, another new development draw the attention of the architecture enthusiasts and of the general public. The Diamond Tower, now the headquarter of BNP Paribas, took the sky with its 140 meters of height. The whole district was under a full renovation, a project that saw the light on the 8th of December of 2012 when Piazza Gae Aulenti with its iconic skyscrapers was officially inaugurated. The Piazza, named after the visionary designer Gae Aulenti, features the Pelli tower, now the headquarter of the Unicredit bank, and a concourse that leads the visitors towards the Corso Como shopping district. The architects of this new neighbourhood wisely managed to merge the new architecture with the historical buildings and palazzos of this dandy district of the city.
In 2014 two other buildings that together form the Bosco Verticale (the vertical forest) were opened and the first tenants started to move in these two “green” skyscrapers that have given to the city a whole new shape.
Giorgio Armani joined the architectural frenzy of Milan in 2015 when he inaugurated the Armani Silos, a museum dedicated to his work as fashion designer. King Giorgio designed himself this spectacular building in the Tortona Design District.
Just a few days later Miuccia Prada opened the doors of the Fondazione Prada. This time she had an architect to do the whole thing. Rem Koolhaas gave its personal touch to the museum of contemporary art that Ms Prada had in mind. A golden building welcomes the visitor of the museum and a torre (tower) overlooks the south side of Milan.
2015 was a particularly significant year for Milanese architecture. The citylife district, right in front of the MICO Milano Convention Centre, started to shape the landscape of Milan, right there where the Fiera Milano facilities used to be. The first to be completed, among the three towers that are part of the project, was the Allianz tower by architect Arata Isozaki, which was opened in 2015. Then in 2017 the second tower by late architect Zaha Hadid was inaugurated and it is now the main building of the Generali company. The third one will host the Italian headquarter of PwC and will be ready in late 2019.
In the meantime the Feltrinelli publishing company managed to have its new headquarter ready. In 2016 the “pyramid” that now hosts also the Microsoft offices here in Milan, was inaugurated nearby the cimitero monumentale.
The architectural frenzy in Milan is not over. In 2019 the renovated Galfa tower will be opened and in 2020 the Unipol tower will have its role in the new skyline of the city of Milan. So stay tuned to discover how the city of Milan will look line in the next few years!
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