{"id":673022,"date":"2026-11-02T21:06:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T21:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/673022\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T21:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T21:06:13","slug":"matteo-thun-transforms-72-apartments-inside-milans-iconic-brutalist-torre-velasca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/673022\/","title":{"rendered":"matteo thun transforms 72 apartments inside milan’s iconic brutalist torre velasca"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matteo Thun reimagines a Milan landmark\u2019s interiors<\/p>\n

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Matteo Thun & Partners<\/a> has unveiled the interiors of 72 residences<\/a> inside Milan\u2019s Torre Velasca, the\u00a0postwar skyscraper<\/a> designed by Italian<\/a> architecture studio BBPR. The project occupies floors 19 through 26, and introduces suites and apartments for short- and long-term stays. This includes duplex penthouses overlooking the city. Set to open in phases beginning in fall 2026, the renovated<\/a> interiors bring rich colors and Italian design classics into one of Milan\u2019s most iconic buildings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Completed in 1958, Torre Velasca was designed by BBPR on a site heavily damaged during World War II. Its unusual silhouette, with a broad residential volume projecting above a narrower office tower, takes inspiration from medieval Lombard architecture, especially the Filarete Tower at Milan\u2019s Castello Sforzesco. Angled reinforced-concrete supports carry the upper floors, giving the building its distinctive mushroom-like profile. Even after the design stirred considerable debate among modernist architects at the time, it\u2019s since become an unmistakable part of Milan\u2019s skyline.<\/p>\n

\"matteoimages \u00a9 Alberto Strada<\/a><\/p>\n

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Preserving the original character of Torre Velasca<\/p>\n

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The new interiors follow an extensive restoration of Torre Velasca led by Milan-based studio<\/a> Asti Architetti for developer<\/a> Hines, completed in 2025<\/a>. For the team<\/a> at Matteo Thun & Partners, working within the protected building meant accommodating much of its original architecture. Tiles in the kitchens and bathrooms have been preserved, along with historic doors and window frames. The apartments also retain their original loggias, which punctuate the tower\u2019s upper volume and frame vast views across Milan.<\/p>\n

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The existing proportions presented their own challenges. Ceilings are relatively low, and many of the rooms are compact, prompting the studio to introduce glossy finishes that reflect daylight and give the interiors a greater sense of space. Floor plans have been adjusted to accommodate larger showers and walk-in closets.<\/p>\n

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Working with Italy\u2019s Ministry of Culture, the architects were also able to partially remove a kitchen wall, introducing a cocktail counter that connects the cooking and living areas. The opening allows natural light to reach further into the kitchen while creating a casual setting for gathering.<\/p>\n

\"matteoa new cocktail counter connects the kitchen and dining area within the historic apartment<\/p>\n

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Pink velvet and a distinctly Milanese palette<\/p>\n

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The material palette draws directly from Torre Velasca\u2019s architecture. Working with Italian textile house Dedar,\u00a0Matteo Thun & Partners developed custom velvet wall coverings in a dusty pink inspired by the building\u2019s exterior plaster.<\/p>\n

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The color brings some of the tower\u2019s character indoors, where it is paired with mustard-yellow sofas custom-designed for Molteni and coffee tables with distinctive stone finishes. Warm wood and deep green accents complete the interiors, giving the rooms a character that feels connected to Milan\u2019s long history of furniture design.<\/p>\n

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An ecclectic collection of furnishings draw on several decades of Italian design, with pieces by Gio Ponti alongside work by Afra and Tobia Scarpa. Cassina\u2019s Utrecht armchair appears in blue felt with contrasting green stitching, while lighting by Oluce has been produced in colors selected specifically for the apartments. Matteo Thun & Partners has also designed custom wardrobes and bedside furniture, manufactured by Italian producers.<\/p>\n

\"matteomustard-yellow upholstery and polished stone tables bring warmth to the residential interiors<\/p>\n

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A new residential chapter for Milan\u2019s historic tower<\/p>\n

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Beyond the apartments, Matteo Thun & Partners has designed the reception and lobby spaces, as well as corridors toward the rear of the ground floor. The residences form part of a wider redevelopment that preserves Torre Velasca\u2019s mixed-use character, with offices continuing to occupy the lower floors and hospitality spaces introduced throughout the building. The upper residences, operated as part of METT Milan Torre Velasca, extend this layout with accommodation for both shorter visits and longer stays.<\/p>\n

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From the street, Torre Velasca\u2019s immense concrete brackets appear to support an entire block of apartments above the city. Inside, the rooms are surprisingly modest in scale. Their low ceilings and deep window openings are reminders of the building\u2019s original design, even among the new furnishings. It is this contrast between the monumental exterior and the domestic spaces within that gives the project its particular character, allowing one of Milan\u2019s most recognizable architectural landmarks to be experienced from the inside.<\/p>\n

\"matteothe apartments offer sweeping views across Milan, including the nearby Duomo\"matteoa richly patterned counter introduces an informal gathering space beside the kitchen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Matteo Thun reimagines a Milan landmark\u2019s interiors \u00a0 Matteo Thun & Partners has unveiled the interiors of 72…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":673023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[74933,27802,307,304,305,306,308,93,61,60,285055,1014,925,32742],"class_list":["post-673022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architectural-icons","tag-architecture-in-italy","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-matteo-thun","tag-renovation-and-restoration-architecture-and-design","tag-residential-architecture-and-interiors","tag-skyscraper-architecture-and-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}