Restoration of the façade of the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan and the repair of damage to reinforced concrete structures caused by a plane crash: An example of critic conservation, Frontiers of Architectural Research, (2014), 3, pp. 212-223 (original) (raw)

2014, Frontiers of Architectural Research

The restoration of the former Pirelli Tower in Milan (dating back to the early 50s) it is exemplary of various issues in the approach to the "conservation of the new", because it was realised with a broad use of industrial products evoked different kind of reflections, if only within the same planning methodology, common to all interventions of architectural restoration. Indeed this restoration has constituted an exemplary episode where only a careful, critical evaluation allowed the understanding of which elements it would be important to conserve and which elements could be substituted or updated, conducting case-by-case evaluations. Conservation of a "new" architecture, indeed, is not different from another restoration problem except for the closeness in time to the original works and, sometimes, also with its creator. The topic is very interesting, complex and stimulating, especially today when the new technology is rapidly evolving call attention to more questions. That is also due to the Technical-Scientific Commission (chaired by Adriano De Maio and Giulio Ballio and composed by Pietro Petraroia, Maria Antonietta Crippa, Giovanni Carbonara and Carla Di Francesco) it was performed a conservative intervention and not a remake, with choices in respect of historical and cultural values of the building. Elaboration of preliminary and final design are of the Renato Sarno Group of Milan and the study Multari + Corvino of Naples. The main intervention concerned the recovery of the structures itself of over 10,000 m2 of continuous façades in aluminium and glass in a skyscraper designed by Italian master Gio Ponti and the repair of the damages to the r. c. structures (designed by another Italian master, Pier Luigi Nervi) to the plane's impact. The straightening and the repair of r.c using entirely innovative methods and the conservation of the structures of the whole façade translated also into financial savings (of 20% with respect to the complete substitution of the curtain wall). This idea of authenticity leads to a method of restoration where all single parts may be not always replaced for every functional upgrade. These are important news, especially for modern architecture which usually preferred the value of what appeared new, showing parts always perfect any was the time they were built. This is the sign of a time where people pay attention also to the conservation of those items that few years ago were considered only industrial products.