Pirellone's 60th Anniversary: Exhibition and Book in Milan
The Pirelli Tower in Milan, also known as Grattacielo Pirelli, was inaugurated on April 4, 1960, after being constructed from 1956 to 1960 for the Pirelli offices, as commissioned by Alberto and Piero Pirelli. Standing at 127 meters, it was acquired by the Lombardy Region in 1978 for 43 billion lire and underwent renovations by Bob Noorda. To pay tribute to the Duomo's spire, a smaller Madonnina statue was added to its summit. Since 2011, it has served as the Regional Council's headquarters. Once the tallest reinforced concrete structure in Europe, the tower will mark its 60th anniversary with the exhibition "Storie del Grattacielo," organized by Fondazione Pirelli and architect Alessandro Colombo, in spring 2021.
Key facts
- Pirelli Tower inaugurated April 4, 1960 in Milan
- Designed by Gio Ponti with six other architects
- 127.10 meters tall, 31 floors
- Built 1956-1960 for Pirelli offices
- Purchased by Lombardy Region in 1978 for 43 billion lire
- Renovated by Bob Noorda
- Topped with a smaller copy of the Madonnina statue
- Tallest reinforced concrete building in Europe at completion
- Exhibition 'Storie del Grattacielo' opening spring 2021
- Catalog published by Marsilio
- Platform 60grattacielopirelli.org for preview
- Exhibition curated by Fondazione Pirelli and Alessandro Colombo
- Marco Tronchetti Provera commented on the tower's symbolism
- Interiors designed with modern standards: 5 sqm per employee, air conditioning, etc.
- 25th floor housed Propaganda Directorate with notable designers
- Rivista Pirelli founded 1948 by Arrigo Castellani
- Contributors included Buzzati, Calvino, Eco, Quasimodo
Entities
Artists
- Gio Ponti
- Giuseppe Valtolina
- Pier Luigi Nervi
- Antonio Fornaroli
- Alberto Rosselli
- Giuseppe Rinardi
- Egidio Dell'Orto
- Bob Noorda
- Lora Lamm
- Riccardo Manzi
- Alessandro Mendini
- Bruno Munari
- Pino Tovaglia
- Massimo Vignelli
- Arrigo Castellani
- Dino Buzzati
- Italo Calvino
- Umberto Eco
- Salvatore Quasimodo
- Marco Tronchetti Provera
- Alessandro Colombo
- Alberto Pirelli
- Piero Pirelli
Institutions
- Pirelli
- Fondazione Pirelli
- Regione Lombardia
- Archivio Storico Pirelli
- Marsilio
- Rivista Pirelli
- Fatti e Notizie
- Artribune
- Corriere della sera
- Il Giorno
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Pirelli Tower (Grattacielo Pirelli)
- Palazzo Lombardia
- Garibaldi (Milan)
- Duomo (Milan)
- Naples
- Europe