UniCredit Tower, Milan

The UniCredit Tower (Torre UniCredit) is the tallest building in Italy: with its spire it reaches 231 metres above Piazza Gae Aulenti in the Porta Nuova business district of Milan, between Porta Garibaldi and Centrale stations. Designed by the architect César Pelli, it was completed in 2012, officially inaugurated in 2014 and serves as the headquarters of UniCredit bank.

The tower is part of a complex of three glass buildings of different heights, arranged in a semicircle around the raised Piazza Gae Aulenti, a popular public square with fountains and light installations. Its 80-metre spiral spire, which recalls the spires of Milan Cathedral, was lifted into place by helicopter on 15 October 2011; it is covered with LEDs and lit up at night, sometimes in festive colours. In 2012 the building was ranked eighth in the Emporis Skyscraper Award.

The tower itself is normally not open to the public; free visits are held only on special occasions and must be booked in advance. The square at its foot is freely accessible and easy to reach by metro (M2 and M5, Garibaldi FS) or by train to Milano Porta Garibaldi.