Lombardy’s regional headquarters, this glinting, 161m, glass-and-steel skyscraper was the city’s first audacious step towards the contemporary skyline that now characterises Porta Nuova. Designed by New York’s Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, its undulating form is meant to echo the sinuous rivers and hills of the Lombard countryside. At its center is an impressive eye-shaped piazza topped by a transparent, lattice-work canopy, while on its 39th floor is a public viewing gallery offering some of the best views over the city.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Casa della Memoria

0.17 MILES

In the shadow of the Bosco Verticale, you’ll spot a neon sign stating boldly ‘Do Not Kill’. It seems odd in this quiet corner, but it serves the ‘House of…

2. Biblioteca degli Alberi

0.19 MILES

Against a backdrop of shimmering skyscrapers and the Bosco Verticale, this modern urban park bustles with activity. Sprawling lawns, a rich variety of…

3. Bosco Verticale

0.26 MILES

Stefano Boeri’s ‘Vertical Forest’ consists of two high-rise apartment blocks whose many reinforced balconies overflow with around 700 trees and 20,000…

4. Torre Pirelli

0.3 MILES

Construction began in 1956 on Milan’s tallest grattacielo (skyscraper). The 32-storey Pirelli Tower sits on the site of the company’s 19th-century factory…

5. UniCredit Tower

0.36 MILES

Italy’s tallest skyscraper (231m) is home to its largest bank, Unicredit, which occasionally allows the public to visit its dramatic top-deck viewing…

6. Piazza Gae Aulenti

0.37 MILES

Join locals sightseeing at this landmark square named after Italy's most famous female architect. The linchpin of Milan’s Porta Nuova regeneration project…

7. Stazione Centrale

0.43 MILES

Annually, nearly 100 million people pass through these hulking portals and onto train platforms beneath a cinematic cylindrical glass roof. Begun in 1912…

8. Santuario di Santa Maria alla Fontana

0.6 MILES

Originally situated in a bosky wood, this sanctuary once enclosed a pool of healing thaumaturgical water, frequented since ancient times by the old, tired…