Richard Towers

Milan, Italy

With the redesign of the “Richard Towers” in Milan, an innovative refurbishment and extension project was realised in an urban space. THEURL was involved in the second tower of the building complex designed by BMS Progetti, which was extended from 16 to 18 storeys. This project represented a special milestone, as it was the first time that timber construction elements were supplied and implemented for this height (around 80 metres).

The newly added storeys were built using a steel-timber hybrid construction method. The existing lower floors in concrete were retained, completely gutted and given a new façade. The extension in this form was primarily made possible by the use of timber: thanks to the comparatively low weight of the building material, the available load-bearing structure could be retained without having to carry out extensive structural upgrading of the existing building. This meant that the existing building could continue to be used in a way that conserved resources and at the same time created a modern, sustainable living and working space.

Project information

Location: Milan, Italy
Use: Office building / residential building
THEURL products used: 300 m³ CLTPLUS

Project partners

Project management: J&A Consultants Srl
General contractor: Tre Esse Srl
Timber construction: Foresti Srl
Architecture: BMS Progetti

Logistical challenge

The location in the centre of Milan placed the highest demands on logistics and the construction process. The CLT elements had to be delivered precisely in time for assembly, as the components were installed directly from the lorry. The road was temporarily closed for the duration of the unloading. Speed, precision and a perfectly coordinated delivery sequence were therefore crucial for a smooth process on the construction site.

THEURL solution

THEURL relied on digital loading space optimisation (LRO) for the efficient implementation of the project. With the help of virtual 3D loading space planning, the exact loading and assembly sequence of the components could be defined and checked in advance. As a result, the elements were delivered to the construction site in the exact order in which they were assembled. This ensured a fast and smooth construction process despite tight time slots and challenging inner-city conditions.