In 2016, Studio Lauria designed the temporary rehabilitation and fit-out of the entrance and several pavilions at Florence’s former Manifattura Tabacchi for IT4Fashion, an event dedicated to technology in the fashion industry. Built between 1933 and 1940 to a design by Pier Luigi Nervi and closed in 2000, the industrial complex was a compelling place but was not yet equipped to host an event open to the public.
Covering approximately 4,800 square metres, the intervention made it possible to restore and reactivate several abandoned buildings, introducing conference rooms and exhibition stands. The installations used timber and metal panels of different heights and colours to organise flows, form exhibition spaces and guide visitors without altering the industrial character of the pavilions.
The most striking element was the access ramp to the reception area. Approximately twenty metres long, it overcame a level difference of 120 centimetres and was bounded by two monolithic blocks clad in sheets of burnished, lightly oxidised iron. The material referenced the industrial context and paid tribute to the work of Richard Serra.
The project demonstrated how a temporary installation can become the first act in a regeneration process, making an industrial site awaiting transformation accessible and understandable once again.
Aware of the challenges of globalisation, we draw on Italian creativity to develop projects that respect and enhance local identities and cultures.
