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| Carige Tower | |
|---|---|
| Name | Carige Tower |
| Location | Genoa, Italy |
| Status | Completed |
| Start date | 1970s |
| Completion date | 1983 |
| Building type | Office |
| Height | 137 m |
| Floor count | 34 |
| Architect | Gianfranco Franchini |
| Owner | Banca Carige |
Carige Tower is a high-rise office building in central Genoa, Italy, serving as a headquarters for a major regional bank. Located near the Port of Genoa and adjacent to historical districts, the tower is a prominent element of the city's late-20th-century skyline. It has been involved in commercial real estate markets, urban redevelopment debates, and architectural discourse relating to modernist interventions in historic European cities.
The tower stands within the metropolitan area of Genoa and overlooks the Port of Genoa, the Piazza De Ferrari, and the Via XX Settembre corridor. As the former headquarters of Banca Carige, it occupies a strategic plot close to municipal institutions such as the Palazzo Ducale (Genoa) and transportation hubs including Genoa Piazza Principe railway station and Genoa Brignole railway station. The building's prominence links it to urban policy discussions involving the Liguria regional administration, the Comune di Genova, and the Provincia di Genova.
Planning for the project occurred during a period of urban renewal influenced by proposals from figures associated with the Italian architectural movement that included individuals linked to the Politecnico di Milano and practitioners who participated in international exhibitions like the La Biennale di Venezia. Construction began amid economic shifts affecting institutions such as Istituto per il Credito Italiano and concluded in the early 1980s under the aegis of corporate entities including Banca Carige and development firms with ties to investors from Milan, Rome, and the European Economic Community. The tower's opening coincided with contemporaneous projects in Italy such as Torre Velasca refurbishments and debates sparked by alterations to the Ponte Morandi infrastructure and adjacent port modernization programs.
Designed by architect Gianfranco Franchini in collaboration with engineers conversant with standards from organizations like the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and influenced by precedents including the Pirelli Tower and international works such as The Shard and Sears Tower, the tower exemplifies late-modernist high-rise typologies. Structural systems reference practices used in projects by firms related to Renzo Piano Building Workshop and engineering consultancies that contributed to buildings like the Centro Direzionale di Napoli. Façade treatments reflect material choices comparable to those on offices in Milan and Turin, while vertical circulation and mechanical floors follow norms promoted by trade associations such as Confcommercio.
Primary occupancy has been by institutions in the Italian banking sector, notably Banca Carige, alongside professional services firms, legal practices, and financial consultancies with links to entities such as Associazione Bancaria Italiana and multinational corporations active in the Mediterranean region. Tenants have included corporate headquarters, branch operations for insurance firms associated with Assicurazioni Generali, and regional offices for shipping companies that interface with port operators like the Port Authority of Genoa.
The tower features in discussions of Genoa's postwar urban identity alongside heritage sites such as the Palazzi dei Rolli and cultural venues like the Museo di Palazzo Reale (Genoa). Critics in publications associated with institutions like the Istituto Nazionale di Urbanistica and commentators from newspapers such as Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica have debated its visual impact relative to historic vistas including the Strade Nuove and the Old Port (Genoa). The building appears in photographic surveys curated by municipal archives and in academic studies at universities such as the Università degli Studi di Genova.
The tower has undergone maintenance and refurbishment phases coordinated with local authorities including the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio and municipal planning offices of the Comune di Genova. Renovation efforts addressed compliance with safety standards promulgated by agencies like the Ministero dell'Interno and seismic retrofitting practices promoted after national events such as the aftermath of notable Italian earthquakes examined by the Protezione Civile. Incidents prompting upgrades involved routine structural assessments, façade restoration, and systems modernization akin to projects undertaken on other Italian high-rises managed by corporate landlords and real estate firms active in the European Union single market.
Genoa Port of Genoa Piazza De Ferrari Banca Carige Genoa Piazza Principe railway station Genoa Brignole railway station Palazzo Ducale (Genoa) Palazzi dei Rolli Università degli Studi di Genova Renzo Piano Building Workshop Pirelli Tower Torre Velasca La Biennale di Venezia Politecnico di Milano Associazione Bancaria Italiana Corriere della Sera La Repubblica Port Authority of Genoa Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio Ministero dell'Interno Protezione Civile European Union Liguria Comune di Genova Provincia di Genova Centro Direzionale di Napoli Assicurazioni Generali Milan Rome Ponte Morandi Strade Nuove Old Port (Genoa)
Category:Skyscrapers in Italy Category:Buildings and structures in Genoa