Corso Como is a pedestrian shopping street in downtown Milan. About 280 meters long, it connects Piazza XXV Aprile with the Porta Garibaldi Station. It can be considered as one of the vital segments of the Garibaldi district. Through the square is connected to the south, with Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, with which it forms a long pedestrian promenade that runs along the San Marco district coming up at the Brera.
Corso Como was formerly the first stretch of the road Comasina, interrupted by the construction of railway facilities (1865) and diverted to the parallel Via Farini. The railway divided Corso Como and Isola District (literally "island"), which was connected by a pedestrian walkway.
The district around Corso Como was urbanized between 1860 and 1880, with the opening of new roads and the construction of workers' housing mixed with industrial and artisanal areas.
After World War II the area was involved into the ambitious project of the Centro, which was supposed to include the total demolition of the old dilapidated buildings, to be replaced by modern office buildings and quality residences. However, the project was only partially completed with the construction of the new station Garibaldi (which replaced the old Porta Nuova ) and some buildings along Via Melchiorre Gioia, including the skyscraper of the Comune in 1966. Corso Como remained in a state of decay, particularly in the north, gutted and never rebuilt, used for many years as parking lot.Since the Nineties, Corso Como has undergone major changes, with the renovation of many buildings and the opening of numerous places that make up the so-called Milan to drink. In 2000 the area has been pedestrianized.
In part, Corso Como will be involved into the Porta Nuova project, including new buildings such as the residential complex Munoz & Albin and Court Green Corso Como.
The renewed quality of the street is also supported by the restructuring of the Alleanza Toro building at the north entrance and the new pavement of Piazza XXV Aprile at south entrance. From Corso Como is now possible to access the new Porta Nuova complex through a road (Via Vincenzo Capelli) that connects it to the podium, circular plaza 6 meters above the street level, surrounded by Pelli towers, hence the Isola neighborhood, and through a pedestrian bridge overlooking via Melchiorre Gioia, the new district built in the area of the former Varesine.
Currently the road is a pedestrian zone and is one of the main areas of Milan's nightlife. Very famous disco-clubs are located here: Hollywood Milan, Loolapaloosa, Executive Lounge Milan and Shocking Club, and, nearby, Tocqueville, Lotus and Eleven.
Even the lounge bar are an integral part of the Milanese nightlife. The course is home of two famous restaurants: the Spanish restaurant Ganas and the Cucine delle Langhe, frequently crowded by celebrities during fashion week. A famous anecdote recalls that the restaurant, in one of these occasions, he was so full that even Catherine Zeta-Jones didn't get a table.
At number 10 Corso Como lies the famous Galleria Carla Sozzani, while the south end, in Piazza XXV Aprile , was the Emerald Theatre, historic and important theater in Milan (now closed).
In the same area, on Viale Pasubio and a few dozen meters away from the course is being built the new headquarters of the Fondazione Feltrinelli designed by Herzog (opening in 2015 ).
Since 2012 Corso Como also hosts the Fuorisalone.
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