ABSTRACT
After the pioneering experiments of Marcello Piacentini in Brescia and Genoa in the 1930s, the construction of the Rasini and SNIA Viscosa Towers shifted the Italian debate on tall buildings to Milan. This city subsequently became the focal point for the further development of this typology. The numerous tall buildings that were erected after World War Two brought about a profound urban, architectural and technological transformation of the city. Due to their great vertical and horizontal loads, increasingly complex supporting structures had to be developed for these skyscrapers, and intense collaboration between architects and engineers became necessary. Although the reinforced concrete frame was preferred, there were attempts to exploit the possibilities of the steel frame. This study, drawing upon information in historical and contemporary architectural and engineering periodicals, analyzes the proliferation of the skyscraper in Milan to increase our understanding of the intrinsic link between technological and stylistic renewal.
