In 2005, the City of Milan began the redevelopment of a large and significant urban site. North of the historic city center and directly adjacent to the Garibaldi train station, the site contained rail yards that had been abandoned during the 1950s. Pelli Clarke Pelli was commissioned to master plan a mixed-use development on a 17.3-hectare plot on the south end of the site with Adamson Associates providing master plan coordination, design support, and full contract documents. The goal of the master plan was to create a grand new city center which would serve as a gateway reconnecting formerly separated neighborhoods.
Pelli Clarke Pelli was subsequently commissioned to further develop and design the largest components of the Porta Nuova Garibaldi Master Plan: Towers A, B, and C, with Adamson Associates providing design support, full contract documents and site review. These three office towers —31, 22, and 11 stories tall—include Italy’s tallest building, visible from more than six miles away. Each tower provides spectacular views of the park, the Piazza Circolare, and the city. These three buildings were the first to be constructed and established the principal image of this landmark project on the Milan skyline.