Architetture dagli archivi del MAXXI. La Torre Velasca dei BBPR

A famous Milanese icon, a symbol of the economic boom and the first example of an Italian-style skyscraper, Torre Velasca was vital to the reconstruction of Milan’s historic center beginning in the early 1950s, when the debris of World War II began to make way for new buildings around the ancient axes of Corso di Porta Romana and Corso Italia.

To this monumental architectural feat destined to change the city’s skyline, commissioned in 1951 by the Società Generale Immobiliare to the Milanese studio BBPR (an artistic association composed of Gian Luigi Banfi, Lodovico Barbiano di Belgiojoso, Enrico Peressutti and Ernesto Nathan Rogers) and built in just 292 days, is dedicated the exhibition curated by the MAXXI Architettura Archives Center. The fulcrum of the exhibition is the archive materials. A rich collection of photographs, graphic designs and documents tell the story of the building, from the initial stages to the letter of commission, from the preliminary studies of towers that were never born to the start of the construction site, the study for the interiors and details of the furnishings. Newspapers, magazines, and the views of contemporary photographers open a window to the history, critical fortune and events following the construction of the Tower. The Tower is not just a historical monument; it is currently the subject of a major restoration and urban regeneration project led by Hines.

The archive materials are not just on display but are part of an interactive experience. They coexist and are integrated with two parallel narrative levels: the structure of the Torre Velasca and its urban context are narrated in an accessible and phygital itinerary through tactile models and tables and augmented and virtual reality episodes as part of the MAXXIperTUTTI accessibility project financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.

Header: photo by Vincenzo Labellarte, courtesy Fondazione MAXXI