PwC Tower by Daniel Libeskind

A curved and iconic skyscraper in the CityLife district

In the new CityLife district, in Milan, the PwC Tower designed by Daniel Libeskind stands out for its enveloping, sculptural form. Along with Arata Isozaki's Allianz Tower and Zaha Hadid's Generali Tower, it completes the celebrated trio that has redefined the Milan skyline. But while the other two towers develop along more orthogonal and rigid axes, the PwC Tower breaks symmetry and is guided by a curvilinear gesture that evokes the idea of an ascending spiral. For this reason, it is often referred to in the city as “The Curved One”.

High 175 meters It's composed by 34 floors above groundThe tower is now the Italian headquarters of the consulting firm PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). Its silhouette, visible from various parts of the city, reflects Libeskind's architectural vision: a constant search for expressiveness, movement, and a dynamic relationship with the urban context. The project interprets the skyscraper not as a simple container of functions, but as an architectural landmark with a strong symbolic charge.

Its quadrangular plan (63m x 25m), with its long sides to the south and north, is slightly rotated towards the east. The typical height between the floors of the offices is 4,1m, while the 29th floor, intended for systems, has an inter-floor height of 5m. Finally, from the attic of the 30th floor to the top of the building is the empty volume of the Crown, which contains technological elements and systems intended for maintenance.

PwC Libeskind Tower Typical Floor Plan — Standard floor plan redesigned by us and available in format dwg ►

An architecture that rotates, moves, breathes

The most striking feature of the PwC Tower is its progressive torsionEach floor rotates slightly with respect to the previous one, creating a spiral effect that accentuates the verticality of the entire structure. Libeskind wanted to translate the idea of a "dance between architecture and city" into a built form. The result is a building that seems to engage with its surroundings, rotating toward Piazza Tre Torri and ideally embracing the urban park below.

This twist, far from decorative, required very complex engineering solutions. The engineers studied a mixed load-bearing structure, with a central reinforced concrete core and a series of inclined radial columns. Each floor has a different geometry, which required meticulously designed floors and the glass façade.

Form and sustainability in balance

The tower develops on a elliptical plan and narrows slightly as it rises. The fully glass façade follows the curved shape of the structure, generating reflections and transparencies that change with the light. The glass panels were custom-made, with different curvatures for each level, to precisely follow the twisting motion.

From an energy perspective, the PwC Tower fits into the sustainability design of the entire CityLife project. It has obtained the LEED Gold certification, thanks to intelligent systems for air conditioning, natural light management, and water conservation. Even the comfort of the interiors has been carefully considered: PwC offices are arranged in flexible, bright spaces designed to foster collaboration and well-being in the workplace.

The urban role of the tower

The PwC Tower is more than just an office building, it's a true urban landmark. Its location, at the southern end of CityLife's main square, makes it a visual connection between the towers and the park. Libeskind conceived the building as part of a larger architectural narrative, in which each tower interacts with the others while maintaining its own distinct personality.

Curiously, during the design phase, the building's curved shape raised concerns among those who feared the twist would compromise its functionality and interior spaces. The final result, however, dispelled all doubts. The tower not only functions perfectly, but also manages to create a strong and recognizable identity, while maintaining elegance and formal sobriety.

"Following the project specifications, the Focchi Group has created an envelope made of double-glazed units (TGU) with cavities filled with Argon, low-emissivity coating, solar coating and
“warm edge” spacer. The double glazing panes are secured along the 4 edges to the aluminum frame of the cell with structural silicone. External covers are provided vertically in
PPC painted aluminum, with snap-on attachment to the uprights.
The facades feature flat glass that follows the geometry of the building.
The curvatures are achieved by varying the inclination angle at the vertical and horizontal joints between the cells. To the north, the toroidal geometry of the façade is defined by flat trapezoidal cells with flat glass panes that follow a broken line along both the arch in plan and the arch in section.
In plan, the adjacent cells form a slight angle between them which is absorbed in the joint between the uprights."
(Source: https://www.focchi.it/it/)

The photo gallery: architecture in motion

The photo gallery presented here aims to showcase the PwC Tower through its most iconic features. The images highlight the rotation of the floors, the complexity of the glass façade, and the interaction with natural light and the urban context. Some shots focus on construction details: the curved lines, the reflections, and the structural elements that enable the torsion.

Others, however, capture the tower within the urban landscape, from angles that enhance its dynamism. Viewing the building from afar and then up close allows us to understand how the project plays on perceptual and material balances. It's not just a tower rising: it's architecture in motion.

Construction began in 2016 and was completed in late 2020.
The photographs were taken in June 2025