Known in Italy as the Grattacielo Pirelli or Pirellone, the Pirelli Tower is the second tallest building in Milan. It was designed by architect Gio Ponti and built in 1956 upon orders from Alberto Pirelli, president of the Pierlli Company. It now serves as a symbol of Milan's economic development.
"The Pirelli Tower, two blocks down the street from my home, symbolized the amazing city. A city transformed by industrialization, the Madonna had to be installed on top of this building – which had been built higher than the Duomo. This building of pride, now taken over by Lombardia’s regional headquarters, represents the new shifts this city is taking in the Post-Industrialization process. For those passing through, the city might be a tall, dirty, ugly city, but what I love about my city is that you have to work a little – turn the corner, ask a question, go down a side street – to find the beauty around you, and I can still see the Pirelli reminder of this in my mind each day I walked to the Metro." -Evan L., Illinois Wesleyan University
Known in Italy as the Grattacielo Pirelli or Pirellone, the Pirelli Tower is the second tallest building in Milan. It was designed by architect Gio Ponti and built in 1956 upon orders from Alberto Pirelli, president of the Pierlli Company. It now serves as a symbol of Milan's economic development.
"The Pirelli Tower, two blocks down the street from my home, symbolized the amazing city. A city transformed by industrialization, the Madonna had to be installed on top of this building – which had been built higher than the Duomo. This building of pride, now taken over by Lombardia’s regional headquarters, represents the new shifts this city is taking in the Post-Industrialization process. For those passing through, the city might be a tall, dirty, ugly city, but what I love about my city is that you have to work a little – turn the corner, ask a question, go down a side street – to find the beauty around you, and I can still see the Pirelli reminder of this in my mind each day I walked to the Metro." -Evan L., Illinois Wesleyan University