BBPR finished the Torre Velasca in 1958 and architects have argued about it ever since. The top-heavy mushroom profile, with its bracketed upper floors, was either a brilliant reading of Lombard tower typology or a provocation. Milan protected it as a historic building in 2011, which settled the argument in practice. The restoration ran from October 2021 to May 2025 and the tower reopened on 15 May 2025.
Hines Italy managed the development for HEVF Milan 1, a fund managed by Prelios SGR and backed by the Hines European Value Fund. Asti Architetti led the restoration. Ars Aedificandi was the general contractor, with CEAS on structures and ESA Engineering on services.
Project Scope
The tower runs to about 34,000 square metres across 26 floors. Offices occupy floors 2 to 15. Above them, roughly 10,000 square metres on floors 19 to 26 became about 72 suites and residences operated under the METT Hotel & Lifestyle brand. Retail grew from 500 square metres to 3,700, and the ground plane was rebuilt as a new pedestrian Piazza Velasca in stone paving with magnolias and olive trees.
The tower now holds the MIA panoramic restaurant, a SUSHISAMBA outlet and a wellness floor. It carries LEED Gold and WiredScore Gold.
Why It Matters
Getting LEED Gold on a protected 1958 concrete tower is the interesting part. The envelope could not be replaced wholesale, the structural frame is the architecture, and the brise-soleil geometry that gives the building its silhouette is also what makes its thermal performance awkward. The certification had to be earned on services, controls and what could be done behind the face rather than by reskinning.
Heritage-protected mid-century office stock is the largest untouched problem in European commercial real estate. Most of it is too listed to demolish, too inefficient to lease and too expensive to fix. Torre Velasca is a demonstration that the sums can work, though it took a patient institutional owner and four years to prove it on one building.
Project Team & Details
| Developer | Hines Italy |
|---|
| Owner / Client | HEVF Milan 1 (managed by Prelios SGR) |
|---|
| Architect | Asti Architetti |
|---|
| Consultants | CEAS (Structural)
ESA Engineering (MEP) |
|---|
| General Contractor | Ars Aedificandi |
|---|
| Status | Completed |
|---|
| Sustainability Certification | LEED Gold |
|---|
| Funding Source | Institutional |
|---|
