Unipol Tower in Milan

Project: Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA)

In the beating heart of the district of New door, between via Melchiorre Gioia and via Fratelli Castiglioni, rises the Unipol Tower, new headquarters of the Unipol Sai group.
The building, approximately 150 m high, 125 meters, represents one of the most recent and significant additions to the Milanese skyline, in an area that has become a symbol of urban transformation and contemporary Milan.

A project of identity and innovation

Signed by the studio Mario Cucinella Architects, the tower stands out for its elliptical plan and for the enveloping lattice structure in steel and glass, which defines its architectural character.
This formal choice, far from the usual parallelepiped volume, arises from the intention to optimize energy performance and create a fluid silhouette, capable of communicating with the surrounding urban context.

With its 23 floors above ground e three underground levels, the Unipol Tower houses offices, institutional spaces and areas intended for public and cultural events, configuring itself as a building-organism that integrates technology, comfort and representativeness.

Architecture and envelope

The most recognizable element is thedouble-skin casing, a triangular structural mesh that encloses the internal glass volume.
In addition to its aesthetic value, this system responds to specific bioclimatic needs: it reduces heat loss, controls solar radiation and improves the building's energy performance throughout the year.
The monumental atrium on the south side, approximately 75 meters high, serves as a large social space and a climate lung, welcoming natural light and promoting passive ventilation.

Technology and sustainability

The project is based on an integrated approach between architectural form and construction technology.
The building uses high efficiency systems, including groundwater heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery and rainwater collection.
The aim is to achieve high environmental standards, in line with the LEED Platinum certification, confirming the sustainable vision that guides the design of the MCA studio.

The tower is therefore much more than a simple office building: it is a laboratory of sustainability applied to architecture, in which the form, materials and plant systems work together to reduce the environmental impact and improve the quality of the internal space.

Materials and construction details

The external metal structure, composed of triangular modules made of steel, it alternates with large glass surfaces that favor transparency and brightness.
Inside, Cucinella's design introduces a refined combination of technological and natural materials, including wood and glass, to create warm and comfortable work environments.
The terraces and winter gardens distributed along the upper floors offer moments of visual respite and connection with the outside, while the large panoramic greenhouse at the top hosts public events and meetings, transforming the tower into an open and lively place.

Urban insertion and skyline

The Unipol Tower is not conceived as an isolated object, but as an integral part of the urban fabric of Porta Nuova.
With its curvilinear profile and latticed facade, it establishes a dialogue with the other protagonists of the Milanese skyline – from the CityLife towers to the Bosco Verticale – but it does so with its own voice, more organic and light.
In a relatively small corner lot, the building completes the urban front of Via Gioia, becoming at the same time visual door towards the city and a new reference for sustainable architecture.

A symbol of responsible architecture

The Unipol Tower perfectly represents Mario Cucinella's design philosophy: an architecture capable of combining beauty, innovation, and environmental responsibility.
Every element—from the geometry of the envelope to the system solutions—is designed to strike a balance between energy efficiency and perceptual quality, between human comfort and respect for the urban climate.

In this sense, the tower is not only a new Milanese icon, but a manifesto of new generation of vertical architectures: buildings that breathe, that communicate with the city and that make sustainability an aesthetic and cultural component, even before a technological one.