Intesa Sanpaolo Turin, Italy Renzo Piano Building Workshop

摘要

Italy may be home to some of the world's most picturesque cities, but it's not exactly known for its skyscrapers. So when Renzo Piano, hon. faia, set out to design the high-rise headquarters in Turin of Italian megabank Intesa Sanpaolo, he had to respect the city's history with a tower that was iconic but not haughty, that made a statement without making a declaration. The result is the 38-story, 545-foot-tall Intesa Sanpaolo tower, beside a public park at the edge of town. Piano calls the tower a "bioclimatic" building, and as with many of his recent structures, he packed it full of eco-friendly features. The top floors are given over not to C-level suites but a triple-height greenhouse, with views over Turin and toward the snow-capped mountains that frame the city. Photovoltaic cells cover the tower's southern facade, while the stairwell running up that side of the building doubles as a "vertical winter garden," with hanging plants beside the steps.