Bigo

The Bigo is a steel crane-like structure in Genoa's revitalized Porto Antico, designed by native son Renzo Piano. It was built in 1992 for the city's International Specialised Exposition marking the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage, and has since become the emblem of the waterfront renewal project that opened Genoa's long-inaccessible port to public life. The name references the ligure word for the loading arms of traditional harbour cranes — a deliberate nod to the city's seafaring past. A glass panoramic lift suspended from the Bigo's mast carries visitors up to a rotating observation platform with sweeping views over the old harbour, the medieval city centre, and the Ligurian Sea.