Recall the mountains of Lombardy. Palazzo Lombardia’s design mirrors their harmonious ridges. We are standing before the headquarters of the Lombardy regional government in Milan.
Palazzo Lombardia significantly altered Milan’s skyline. It is one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers completed after 2010. The others are the UniCredit Tower, Allianz Tower, Hadid Tower and Libeskind Tower.
Built between 2007 and 2010, Palazzo Lombardia officially opened on March 27, 2011. The Madonnina was symbolically installed on January 22, 2010. The complex provides office space for 3,000 employees. These employees previously worked in different buildings across Milan.
Webuild constructed the complex. Pei Cobb Freed & Partners designed it, partnering with the Caputo Partnership and Sistema Duemila. Their design won an international competition. Henry N. Cobb played a major role in the design.
The Palazzo Lombardia consists of sinuous interwoven office spaces. These spaces combine workstations within gently curving glass walls. They are versatile and adaptable to organizational changes. Cobb aimed to shape public streetscapes open to all. He wanted to enhance the city’s spatial fabric.
The complex covers 33,000 square meters. It is inspired by the Lombardy region mountains. The four curvilinear lower structures evoke these mountains. These buildings have seven to eight floors. They house offices and spaces for culture and entertainment. The buildings connect to form internal squares. The central hub is a large covered piazza under the tower.
The construction cost about 400 million euros. The regional government’s headquarters brings all regional offices into one complex. This includes the nearby Pirelli skyscraper. This consolidation generates operational savings. Palazzo Lombardia is estimated to save the administration 25 million euros per year.
The central skyscraper rises 161.3 meters. It has 39 stories. People affectionately call Palazzo Lombardia the “winged tower”. It offers representative and office areas. There is also a panoramic restaurant and a garden terrace.
The buildings are transparent. They create interesting light effects. The complex incorporates technological innovation and energy-saving solutions. Thermal energy comes from groundwater heating heat pumps. The water is channeled back into the Martesana canal.
Photovoltaic panels cover portions of the facades and the central square roofing. These panels supply a portion of the complex’s electricity needs. “Climatic wall” technology transfers waste air into a cavity. This cavity sits between the external and internal facades. This air is then used in various ways depending on the temperature.
Outdoor areas are fundamental. They include a 2,700-square-meter roof garden and 3,300 square meters of woodland. The Piazza Città di Lombardia is Europe’s largest covered piazza. It houses restaurants, bars, a post office and a nursery school. The ogival square is protected by a 32-meter-high structure.
In 2012, Palazzo Lombardia won the Best European Skyscraper award. The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat of Chicago gave the award. No other Italian building had previously won this international prize.
The Palazzo Lombardia stands as a testament to innovative design. It is a functional government center. It is also a vibrant public space for the citizens of Milan and the Lombardy region. Its blend of architectural vision and sustainable technology makes it a landmark for years to come.