looming towers

Part of the charm of old cities is the narrow streets. Part is the intervention of plazas, the cacophony of old streets or the intervention of new wider streets. When I first saw a picture of the new Intesa Sanpaolo Office Building in Turin by Renzo Piano, I thought it was perhaps too disruptive. But seeing it as I walked about the city was enjoyable.

I also really enjoyed seeing the UniCredit skyscraper in Milan. It is the tower with the spiky top.

I probably enjoyed it more as part of the cityscape than being right up against it though I must admit the Milano e Torinos (Campari and Punt e Mes sweet vermouth) that we had at the Feltrinelli RED cafe on the plaza level were just fine. It is part of the Porta Nuova development which is compared to the High Line in New York City on the construction billboards. The strolling and retail is much more mixed at Porta Nuova. The pedestrian traffic is a vigorous mix of strollers, shoppers, and neighborhood folks, and car traffic is mostly separated.