De Castillia 23 – “The Razor”, Milan

Porta Nuova redevelopment project by Progetto CMR

In the heart of Milan's Porta Nuova district, in via De Castillia 23, stands one of the most interesting architectural regeneration projects in the city: the building known as “the Razor”.
For years left as an unfinished concrete structure, the complex has been completely transformed by the project of Progetto CMR for Urban Up – Unipol Group, becoming a symbol of the new sustainable and technological Milan.

The metamorphosis was radical: from an abandoned skeleton to a dynamic, luminous and “living” volume.
The façade, featuring a design of triangular glass and steel sails, changes reflections and light intensity throughout the day, creating an ever-changing image. This envelope is not just an aesthetic gesture, but a true symbol of the building. smart skin, designed to ensure visual comfort and reduce direct radiation in work environments.

Particular attention was paid to the materials: the external surfaces are covered with ceramic slabs Active Surfaces®, capable of reducing atmospheric pollutants through a photocatalytic process. According to studies by the University of Milan, the approximately 16.000 m² of eco-active cladding are equivalent to a green area of over 200.000m², helping to reduce the building's environmental impact. The external spaces and roofs also host green areas for approximately 2.000m², which absorb CO₂ and release oxygen in significant quantities every year.

The project also included the functional recovery of all levels of the complex, including the underground ones, which were transformed into bright and flexible spaces. Today From Castillia 23 hosts the headquarters of important companies – such as Just Eat Italy – and public spaces open to the city, such as the Brussels House, testimony to an architecture capable of combining work, sociality and sustainability.

In 2022 the building obtained the CTBUH Award of Excellence in the “Best Tall Building – up to 100 metres” category, an international recognition that recognises its design and innovative value.

With its sharp silhouette and shifting skin, “the Razor” It fits forcefully into the urban landscape of Porta Nuova, interacting with the other contemporary architecture in the area while maintaining its own identity: that of a building born from redevelopment and looking to the future, a concrete example of how sustainability can become an architectural form.

Summary sheet

Project: Progetto CMR
Client: Urban Up – Unipol Group
Location: Via G. De Castillia 23, Milan
Total area: about 33.000 m²
Year of completion: 2019
Main materials: glass, steel, ceramic Active Surfaces®
Certifications: BREEAM underway, eco-active technologies for NOx and CO₂ reduction
Awards: CTBUH Award of Excellence 2022