Torre Velasca
The italic=no is a skyscraper built in the 1950s by the BBPR architectural partnership, in Milan, Italy. The tower has 26 stories.
The tower, measuring in height to the roof with an additional antenna spire, has a peculiar and characteristic mushroom-like shape. It stands out in the city skyline, made of domes, buildings and other towers. Its structure recalls the Lombard tradition, made 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 the result of a modern interpretation of the typical medieval Italian castle. At the same time, BBPR in this building satisfied the functional needs of space: narrower surfaces on the ground, wider and more spacious ones on the top floors. The town planning laws, then, imposed specific volumes ; in this tower, the latter were the mixed functions of residential and commercial use.
The tower is located in the city centre of Milan, near the Duomo and the headquarters of the University of Milan, between the streets corso di Porta Romana and via Larga. One of the exits of the Missori metro station, on line 3, is located right in front of it.
In 2011, the tower was placed under protection as a historic building.