Nuvola Lavazza is the new headquarters of the well-known coffee brand founded by Lavazza’s family and operating in Turin.
The headquarters are on the abandoned site of Enel electricity company and covers an entire block in Aurora neighborhood.
The project by architect Cino Zucchi and his studio preserved some of the industrial building giving them new functions: the company museum and a space for events. On the other side of the block the low quality old buildings were torn down and a new modern office building was built with a metal and glass facade.
In order to grant the company the renovation of this portion of the city, Turin’s municipality required the project to have a strong integration with the neighborhood’s urban form and to provide a public space.
So between the buildings they created a big square that looks more like an urban garden. It is always open to the public and the design is really pleasant, with curving paths, little squares within the square, plants, small trees, and long comfortable benches.
What I love about this new space is that it is unexpected: while walking in the surrounding streets you would never think that just around the corner there is such a nice environment.
Sidenote: during the construction works they discovered the remains of a Paleochristian church. Archaeologists excavated the site and architects changed the project in order to preserve it and make it accessible to visits. You can see it from outside on corso Palermo.
