At the end of 2025, restoration work was completed on the Schindler Tower in Concorezzo (Italy), which for sixty years has been one of the iconic symbols of the area and an example of brutalist industrial architecture, where a new lighting system was also installed. The renovation is part of a larger redevelopment project for the Italian headquarters of the Swiss multinational, one of the global leaders in the supply of elevators and escalators.

The inauguration ceremony for the Schindler Tower was attended by the CEO of Schindler Italia, Matteo Napoli, and the Mayor of the Municipality, Mauro Capitanio, together with company and institutional representatives. The tower has been returned to the community after careful restoration work and the installation of the new lighting system.

Used to test prototypes of new lift systems and for training courses for its specialist technicians, the tower has been a symbol of identity for the company and the local community for sixty years. With this project, Schindler Italia confirms its desire to promote its historical and industrial heritage, making it an integral part of the company’s new vision.

An industrial icon of the Sixties

Designed between 1964 and 1965 by the V.R.C. Valtolina Rusconi Clerici studio—a historic Milanese engineering and architecture firm that in those years designed offices, factories, and industrial complexes in Italy and abroad for companies such as Pirelli, Siemens, Unilever, Singer, Alitalia, Recordati, Barilla, Perugina, and others – the Schindler Tower is a significant example of Italian brutalist architecture.

The use of exposed reinforced concrete (béton brut), the original three-sided geometric volume, and the rejection of any superfluous ornamentation define its essential and rigorous character, in which structure and function are expressed in a direct way, creating a perception of solidity, strength, and elegance at the same time.

A testament to an era of great industrial momentum and profound technological innovation, its restoration is not simply a conservation project, but an act of continuity with the Italian design tradition that has helped shape the productive landscape of our country.

“Restituire nuova vita alla torre Schindler significa dare continuità alla nostra storia e, allo stesso tempo, al percorso di trasformazione che stiamo portando avanti sull’intero headquarter di Concorezzo” – dichiara Matteo Napoli, CEO di Schindler Italia. “Questo intervento non è solo simbolico: racconta la volontà del Gruppo di investire concretamente sul territorio italiano e sulla comunità che ci ospita da sessant’anni. La torre torna oggi a essere un punto di riferimento visivo, tecnologico e culturale per il territorio, presto inserito in una sede aziendale rinnovata, moderna e sostenibile”.

Mayor Mauro Capitanio was also present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, stating: “The Schindler tower is a distinctive feature of our city’s image, a visual and architectural welcome for those arriving in Concorezzo. Its renovation has symbolic value for all of us. It recognizes the value and significance of a great technological and industrial past that is being renewed and continues in a deep-rooted, conscious, and strong way in our territory. For Concorezzo, the renovation of the tower and the redevelopment of the entire site is an added value and a starting point for concrete and constructive collaboration between public administration and the local economy.”

Architecture and sustainability for a new working experience

The restoration of the tower is part of a larger redevelopment project for the Schindler Group’s Italian headquarters, presented in May 2025 and designed by GBPA Architects: a project that completely redefines the identity of the 22,580 m² complex, with new workspaces, a transparent connecting structure between the two main buildings, and shared functions designed for people’s well-being—from the central square to the company gym—where architecture, well-being, innovation, and sustainability define a new model of working environment and relationships.

During the design phase, particular attention was paid to the tower, with the aim of preserving its historical memory and integrating it harmoniously into the new architectural language through contemporary and sustainable solutions. The new lighting allows the building to take on an even more recognizable appearance in the local skyline, while preserving the original structure and ensuring energy efficiency, in line with the goal of obtaining LEED GOLD certification for the entire Concorezzo business park. The tower and buildings will be powered by a high-efficiency geothermal system, supplemented by photovoltaic panels and monitored by an intelligent BACS system to optimize consumption.

The inauguration of the Schindler tower marks the start of the operational phase of the redevelopment project for the historic Concorezzo corporate site, with work on the office building scheduled to begin in January 2026.

The Schindler Group

Founded in Switzerland in 1874, the Schindler Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of elevators, escalators, and related services. Schindler mobility solutions transport more than 2 billion people worldwide every day. The company’s success is made possible by its more than 69,000 employees in over 100 countries. Schindler is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, with an absolute reduction of 90% in its greenhouse gas emissions in scopes 1, 2, and 3 compared to 2020 levels. At the same time, the company is working to neutralize its remaining emissions.