https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bse02AUNP_o<\/a><\/b><\/p>\nA weekend in Turin\u2014why not? A change of air despite the forecasted rain, and the perfect excuse to reconnect my little Fiat 500 with its roots.<\/p>\n
We wander under the city\u2019s arcades, eat pizza, sip spritz\u2026 but it\u2019s never quite enough. As always, we\u2019re searching for a place, something a little unexpected. In Turin, you don\u2019t have to look far before landing on the Lingotto. <\/p>\n
We decide to go the next day. And somehow, miracle, the rain stops, the sun comes out. I even end up buying a pair of sunglasses. <\/p>\n
We arrive in front of an immense structure made up of five interconnected blocks. A vast parking area, a shopping center, hotels, a tropical garden, a convention center\u2026 <\/p>\n
\u201cO<\/i>ne of the most impressive spectacles ever offered by industry.\u201d<\/i>
\u2014 Le Corbusier, Vers une architecture<\/u>, 1924<\/b><\/p>\n
And yet, it\u2019s not hard to imagine ourselves back in 1915, when the Lingotto Building was first designed and built through to 1923.
It was architect-engineer Giacomo Matt\u00e9-Trucco and his team who envisioned this place. Born in 1869 in Sa\u00f4ne-et-Loire, France, funny how Burgundy never feels that far from our discoveries. <\/p>\n
His studies in Turin and early professional experiences quickly connected him to Fiat, and it was only natural that he would lead what became the most significant and celebrated project of his career.<\/p>\n
The Lingotto stands as an icon of modern architecture and one of the first Italian factories designed according to a scientific organization of labor.
After visiting the site, Le Corbusier described it in Vers une architecture<\/u> (1924) as \u201cone of the most impressive spectacles ever offered by industry.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n
The factory was built for the production of Fiat automobiles, inspired by Taylorist principles, with efficiency as its primary objective. Everything was conceived as a unified system: production lines, offices, administrative services, canteen, and facilities all brought together. To streamline the process even further, two helical ramps were added at each end of the building between 1923 and 1926, allowing newly built cars to move directly from the ground floor up to the test track on the roof. <\/p>\n
Many Fiat models were produced here until 1982, when manufacturing finally ceased at the site.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust<\/i> keep turning, you should eventually find the exit\u2014we\u2019re not going to drive around all night.\u201d<\/i>
\u2014 Michael Caine, The Italian Job<\/u>, 1969<\/b><\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b-smy_yhutw<\/a><\/b><\/p>\nThat same year, however, Fiat and the city of Turin launched an international competition to prevent the site from becoming an industrial wasteland. In 1985, architect Renzo Piano was selected to transform the building while preserving its form and history. Not a random choice, he is notably behind the Centre Pompidou in Paris. <\/p>\n
From 1997 onward, Fiat\u2019s headquarters even returned to this iconic building.<\/p>\n
In 2002, the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli was inaugurated an art gallery combining the private collection of a key Fiat figure with contemporary exhibitions.<\/p>\n
The rooftop test track has also been redesigned and is now used to showcase new models. Open to the public, it was, for us, the highlight of the visit.
Like kids, completely amazed, we only wanted one thing: to run along those banked curves, imitating the roar of an engine\u2026 But we\u2019re adults and we almost managed to hold back… almost. <\/p>\n
Anne S, \u00d6lddesign.<\/em><\/p>\nPhotos : C.S, \u00d6lddesign.<\/em><\/p>\n