Torrione INA

Torrione INA
Alternative namesTorrione
Record height
Tallest in Italy from 1932 to 1934[I]
Surpassed byTorre Littoria (Turin)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeCommercial offices
Residential
AddressPiazza della Vittoria
Town or cityBrescia
CountryItaly
Coordinates45°32′18.67″N 10°13′7.93″E / 45.5385194°N 10.2188694°E / 45.5385194; 10.2188694
Construction started1930
Completed1932
Opened1 November 1932
Height
Roof57.25 m (187.8 ft)
Technical details
Floor count15 (13 above ground)
Lifts/elevators5
Design and construction
Architect(s)Marcello Piacentini
References

The Torrione INA (transl."INA Tower"), also known as Torrione or Grattacielo, is a tall building in Brescia, Italy. Built between 1930 and 1932, it is the first skyscraper in Italy and also one of the first skyscrapers in Europe. It was designed by the Italian architect Marcello Piacentini for the INA – Istituto Nazionale Assicurazioni ("National Insurance Institute"). At the time of its completion, it was the tallest concrete high-rise in Europe aside from the “Boerentoren” in Antwerp.

The tower was officially opened by Benito Mussolini on 1 November 1932. The architectural style of this building is predominantly Art Deco, with influences from Chicago School. Indeed, the Torrione INA was inspired by a project that Piacentini had submitted in 1922 for the Chicago Tribune's architectural competition.

The Torrione INA had been used as a model for other Italian skyscrapers, such as the Torre Littoria in Turin and the Torre Piacentini in Genoa.