One project in three

The envelope of the three towers includes different types of curtain walls and complementary elements that together cover a total surface area of more than 70,000 sqm (753,500 sq ft) with glass façades, ventilated stone façades, sunshades and a series of complementary elements. The buildings are clad in reflective glass and have narrow, curved forms.
The main cladding that distinctly characterizes the appearance of the sinuous and enveloping volumes develops above the public strip, and consists of a system of prefabricated units with a packaging thickness of only 18 cm (7 1/8”). The unit type has dimensions equal to 1.5 x 4.075 m (5 x 13.4 ft), the size of the inter-floor axis. It comprises four glass elements, three of which are visual and one spandrel in correspondence with the floors, and aluminum profiles. Each unit was conceived as an independent module, including the frame, glass and accessories. The design and customization of the components allowed the façade solution to deliver excellent thermal, light and acoustic performances.

The façades of the internal concave areas are distinguished from the external convex areas due to the type of glass, which is more reflective on the outside to enhance the shape of the buildings and less reflective on the inside to allow a better interaction between the offices and their occupants and the piazza. Moreover, the presence of the protruding sunshading fins marks the succession of the floors, which vary in depth depending on the building and create games of light and shadow on the glass surface. The horizontal fins consist of modular elements protruding from the outer edge of the glass. They are placed at the intermediate crosspiece of each floor and extend for an overall length of 6 km (3.7 mi).

Spiraling upward from the south face of Tower A is a 70 m (230 ft) cone-shaped spire. A distinctive feature of the entire complex, it is the only element visible from above, looking at Milan on foggy days. It is made of a stainless steel structure covered with perforated metal sheet that has a technological function, despite the reduced curvature of the plan: it connects to the building through a cell façade that has the same 1.5 m (5 ft) width as standard modules. The lower part of the spandrel zones of these units are fitted with LEDs that allow constant night lighting and can take on different colors depending on the recurrence.

The opaque envelope features a ventilated stone façade positioned at the blind area of the stairwells making up the core of each block, and covers the side heads of each building. This solution meets several fundamental requirements and performances aimed at improving living comfort and is characterized by a typical module consisting of a granite slab measuring 1.2 m (4 ft) by 0.56 m (2 ft). The type of stone, color yield and strength characteristics, as well as the choice of glass types, were the aspects that required the greatest coordination and collaboration in order to define the optimal choices approved by the client and architect.

The podium features exclusive stores that see Piazza Gae Aulenti as the natural extension of Corso Como with numerous high-end retail stores. The clear and transparent surfaces of the windows are framed and enhanced by the stainless steel cladding of the aluminum structure with attention paid to every detail. Around 3,000 sqm (32,300 sq ft) of retail façades was built for this unique portion of the building, in addition to glass and steel façades for the entrances (bolted glass façade where the glass is suspended, anchored at fixed points), more than 200 special doors in steel and glass, stone clad, and revolving doors, with stainless steel and stone cladding for the columns and 3,000 sqm (32,300 sq ft) of false ceiling with wooden and aluminum slats. Moreover, the project required the study and realization of some very unique elements, such as 1,000 m (3,300 ft) of completely customized stainless steel parapets with different shapes according to their position on the façade and the functionality of the spaces behind. Finally, at the plaza level, in correspondence with the spire of Tower A, a circular canopy has been developed: it is made up of screen-printed laminated glass anchored to painted steel structures using stainless steel spider fittings.