Palazzo Aedes

The Palazzo Aedes, also known as the Red Skyscraper, is a striking office building in Trieste at the point where the Grand Canal meets the Adriatic. Designed by Arduino Berlam between 1926 and 1928, it is considered the city's first true skyscraper. Inspired by the red brick buildings of New York, the project initially met with resistance, as its extraordinary height and the lack of an interior courtyard troubled the review commission. Construction was able to continue only after direct support from Benito Mussolini. The building was inaugurated in 1928 and has belonged to Assicurazioni Generali since 1932; the company's academy is now housed there.