Lingotto Building | Turin

Information

Landmark: Lingotto Building
City: Turin
Country: Italy
Continent: Europe

Lingotto Building, Turin, Italy, Europe

The Lingotto Building is a massive former automotive factory for Fiat, repurposed into a multifunctional administrative, commercial, and cultural complex. Designed by Giacomo Mattè-Trucco, it remains one of the most significant examples of 20th-century industrial architecture in Europe.

Visual Characteristics

The building is a reinforced concrete structure 500 meters long and five stories high. Its most defining feature is the test track on the roof, consisting of two straightaways connected by banked parabolic curves. The interior is characterized by modular industrial windows and two internal spiral ramps (at the North and South ends) designed to allow cars to be driven from the ground floor to the roof. Modern additions by Renzo Piano include "La Bolla" (The Bubble), a glass-walled meeting room, and "Lo Scrigno" (The Casket), a steel-clad art gallery.

Location & Access Logistics

Located in the Nizza district at Via Nizza, 230. It is 3.5 kilometers South of the city center. It is directly served by the Lingotto Metro station (Line M1). By car, it is accessible via the Corso Unità d'Italia; a large underground parking facility with 3,300 spaces is available.

Historical & Ecological Origin

Construction occurred between 1916 and 1923. It functioned as Fiat’s primary production hub where assembly followed a vertical flow: raw materials entered at the ground floor, and finished cars emerged on the roof track for testing. After closing in 1982, it was renovated by architect Renzo Piano (1985–2002). The site occupies a flat alluvial plain between the Turin hills and the railway corridor.

Key Highlights & Activities

Roof Track (Pista di Collaudo): Accessible via the Pinacoteca Agnelli, allowing visitors to walk the banked curves where Fiat Torpedos and 500s were once tested.

Pinacoteca Agnelli: A permanent art collection featuring works by Canaletto, Bellini, Matisse, and Picasso, housed in the "Scrigno" structure.

Centro Commerciale Lingotto: A shopping mall integrated into the ground floors of the former factory.

Eataly Torino Lingotto: Located in the former Carpano vermouth factory directly opposite the main building, it is the first flagship store of the global food chain.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The complex houses two hotels (DoubleTree by Hilton and NH Torino Lingotto), a convention center, a multiplex cinema, and the Polytechnic University of Turin's automotive engineering department. It is fully ADA-compliant with extensive elevator systems. 5G cellular coverage is excellent throughout the interior and on the roof.

Best Time to Visit

The shopping center and public areas are open daily 10:00–21:00. The Pinacoteca and roof track are open Tuesday–Sunday. Sunset is the optimal time for visiting the roof track to view the Alps and the Turin skyline.

Facts & Legends

Le Corbusier famously described the building as "one of the most impressive sights in industry" and "a guideline for town planning." The roof track appeared in the 1969 film The Italian Job during the famous Mini Cooper chase sequence. Legend suggests the building’s sheer size was designed to demonstrate the absolute dominance of Fiat over the Italian economy during the interwar period.