PRESS RELEASE

THE INTESA SANPAOLO SKYSCRAPER:
FIRST IN EUROPE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
AMONG THE TEN MOST ECO-COMPATIBLE HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD

• The Green Building Council has awarded the LEED Platinum certification to the Bank’s new headquarters in Turin
• The LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) protocol is the most authoritative international rating system for assessing the environmental sustainability characteristics of buildings
• The tower, designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, was given top rating thanks to the excellent containment of overall energy consumption
• A unique building because of its innovative architecture and cutting-edge materials and technologies: one of the world’s largest mechanized “double-skin” façades, geothermal power supply, automated regulation of interior lighting according to the natural light, and a bioclimatic conservatory

Turin, 8 October 2015 – The Intesa Sanpaolo Skyscraper has been awarded the LEED Platinum rating, the highest level assigned by the Green Building Council, the most authoritative international organisation for the environmental assessment of buildings. The Bank’s new Turin headquarters is currently the only high-rise building in Europe to have reached such a level on the scale of environmental certifications, thus entering the restricted circle of the world’s top ten for the “New Construction” category.

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) protocol also rewards the Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s long-term view in designing the tower, the abilities of the Italian companies who created the building and the professionalism of Jacobs Italia, which monitored each stage for conformity between the design and the final work.
The Intesa Sanpaolo Skyscraper is powered by electricity from renewable hydroelectric sources and from 1,600 square metres of photovoltaic panels installed on the southern façade; in addition, 80% of the lighting is LED. In normal operating conditions the skyscraper has no polluting emissions. On the building’s east and west sides two glass walls, around 2.5 metres apart, form what is known as a "double skin”; this is one of the largest “active” façades in the world, managed by a centralized system that controls the opening and closing of the louvres. A network of sensors detects the different daily and seasonal weather conditions, reducing heat dispersion in the interior spaces in winter and dissipating the radiation heat accumulated by the movable solar screens inserted between the two glass panels, by ventilating the cavity in summer. The heating and cooling system by heat pump does not use traditional fuels and exploits the thermal energy from the groundwater. Rainwater, collected in special tanks, supplies both the irrigation system for the green areas and the flushing systems in the bathrooms. The internal lighting system controls the intensity of light-sources depending on the amount of natural light and the presence of people. The microperforated radiant ceiling panels used for air-conditioning provide an excellent level of environmental comfort.
Opened on 10 April, Intesa Sanpaolo Skyscraper houses over 2,000 of the Group’s employees. Its special feature is that it combines spaces for work with spacious areas open for public use, such as the variable-configuration auditorium and the bioclimatic conservatory. This is an innovative green space right at the top of the tower, welcoming visitors in three ways: there’s a restaurant, an exhibition hall and a cafeteria with panoramic terrace, where the catering service will soon be under way. Meanwhile, more than 20,000 people have already visited the skyscraper on several public opening days promoted by the Bank.

Overall, the building required an investment – design and outfitting included – of around 500 million euros, including 2.5 million for renovating the Grosa Gardens, the public park located between the skyscraper and the Court of Turin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For information
Intesa Sanpaolo
Banca dei Territori and Local Media Relations
Tel +39 0115556652
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com