MILAN - The historic Torre Velasca, which is undergoing restoration as part of a project supported by Hines, a global real estate investment, development, and property manager, welcomes the famous SUSHISAMBA restaurant, internationally renowned for its experiential and multi-sensory culinary journey. Hines European Value Fund (HEVF) owns Torre Velasca via HEVF Milan 1, a fund managed by Prelios, with development management services provided by Hines Italy.
This lease agreement represents a significant milestone for the new Torre Velasca project, highlighting its appeal to internationally revered brands not yet present in Italy, while creating unique experiences by enhancing historical buildings and projecting them into a contemporary context. Torre Velasca was considered by SUSHISAMBA as the ideal space to join its other exclusive restaurants in Doha, Dubai, Las Vegas and London.
The tower is undergoing a complex and careful restoration of façades and interiors which intends to turn the Milanese landmark into a must-visit destination for international lifestyle experiences, opening up a building which was previously private and creating the new Piazza Velasca, which aims to become a best-in-class meeting place for the city.
The two new restaurants, including SUSHISAMBA on floor 1, will cover a total area of almost 1,500 square meters over two floors. For the first time, the tower will host a restaurant on the 18th floor, introducing a new formula for the prestigious Italian venue, as the highest restaurant overlooking the Milan city center. Upon opening this new panoramic space will have undergone a change of use from a private inaccessible technical facility to offering Milan and its citizens a terrace with an unprecedented and exclusive 360° view of the entire city. This view will span from the traditional marble of the Duomo to the contemporary skyline between Porta Nuova and CityLife.
SUSHISAMBA will offer its signature dishes, creative beverages, extensive wine, sake and champagne selection, and its renowned entertainment ensuring that every single visit creates unforgettable memories. The official opening is expected to take place in Spring 2024.
“When the restoration work started, there was a very clear objective: to give back a renovated and redeveloped tower to the city with a focus on sustainability, safety, and liveable spaces while respecting its inestimable historical value,” explained Mario Abbadessa, senior managing director & country head of Hines Italy. “This is an important step for Torre Velasca, which is set to attract international brands and bring a one-of-a-kind experience to Milan, its citizens and visitors, who will no longer have to limit themselves to admiring the iconic monument from the outside, but instead will have the opportunity to enjoy all that it offers, including SUSHISAMBA”.
Antonio Gonzalez, CEO of Sunset Hospitality, whose portfolio includes SUSHISAMBA, added: “Italy is synonymous with delicious cuisine, so it’s only fitting that our growth plans take us there. The launch of SUSHISAMBA Milan is a tremendous achievement for all of us at SHG as we’ve been following the Italian food and beverages landscape for quite some time and we’re very excited about building the firm’s presence in the market. SUSHISAMBA is renowned for its contemporary gastronomy, vibrant ambience and stunning aesthetics. We cannot wait for you all to experience this at the iconic Torre Velasca where panoramic views of the city can be seen from its strategic central location.”
The Torre Velasca regeneration project is being overseen by the Asti Architetti studio, in collaboration with ARS, CEAS studio, ESA Engineering and the Milan Superintendence For Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, while the advisors for the operation are CBRE, Colliers and DILS, which are handling the commercialization of the spaces.
About Hines
Hines is a global real estate investment, development, and property manager. The firm was founded by Gerald D. Hines in 1957 and now operates in 28 countries. We manage a $92.3B portfolio of high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. Our local teams serve 634 properties totaling over 225 million square feet globally. We are committed to a net zero carbon target by 2040 without buying offsets.
Since entering Europe in 1991, Hines has grown its European platform to include offices in 17 cities as well as a presence in 79 cities in 14 countries. Hines oversees investment assets under management valued at approximately €25.3 billion and provides third-party property-level services totaling 4.7 million square meters in Europe, in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
To learn more about Hines, visit www.hines.com and follow @Hines on social media.
¹Includes both the global Hines organization as well as RIA AUM as of June 30, 2022.
About SUSHISAMBA
SUSHISAMBA was founded in New York in 1999, and it celebrates the culture and cuisine of Japan, Brazil and Peru. The tri-cultural union can be felt through cuisine, drinks, music, art and design. Complementing the cuisine, each location offers specialty cocktails, cultural spirits such as shochu, pisco, Japanese whisky and sake, and a large selection of wine and champagne. Currently, SUSHISAMBA is located in Las Vegas, Heron Tower London, Covent Garden London, Dubai, Doha and soon to open in Riyadh.
For more information visit: www.sushisamba.com
About Sunset Hospitality Group:
Sunset Hospitality Group (SHG) was founded in 2011 with a vision to create unique hospitality experiences around the world, ranging from resorts and beach clubs to restaurants and nightlife venues. Since then, the group has grown to become a leading hospitality investment and management company developing new and pioneering concepts and acclaimed multinational brands. SHG has a presence in nine countries across 26 brands with a proven record in delivering a blend of high-quality services at exceptional locations.
SHG’s portfolio includes renowned concepts including METT Hotels & Resorts, Azure Beach, Ammos, Drift Beach Club, AURA, SUSHISAMBA, DREAM, L’Amo Bistro del Mare, Black Tap, Luigia, Lola Taberna Española, Goldfish, Isola, Raise Fitness & Wellness, and many more. Celebrating its first 10 years last year, SHG continues its impressive growth and plans to increase its portfolio to more than 50 operating venues and extend its footprint to 14 countries by 2023. Visit www.sunsethospitality.com
About the Hines European Value Fund (HEVF 1)
HEVF 1 was the first fund in the HEVF series, with the objective to secure and invest in value-add real estate throughout Europe on behalf of institutional investors. HEVF 1 is a closed-ended Euro-denominated, Luxembourg-based investment fund that launched in July 2017. It held its final close in 2018 and the total fund size exceeded €720 million of equity commitments, surpassing its original target by more than 40 percent. HEVF 1 successfully secured 9 investments across Europe and is now focused on execution and disposition of these assets, with the anticipation that the Fund will outperform its target returns. The flagship HEVF series for Hines in Europe has a geographic mandate across the European Union and has the flexibility to invest in logistics, living, office, retail and mixed-use opportunities in institutional markets.
