The Lingotto building in 1928
The construction of the Lingotto building began in 1616, and opened in 1923. Designed by Matté Trucco in the Lingotto district of Torino, Italy, the five floored building housed the automobile factory of Fiat. Raw materials would enter on the ground floor, and as they progressed further up the floors of the building, they would get closer and closer to becoming cars; until they reached the rooftop, finished, and tested on the rooftop track. In its time, it was the largest car factory in the world; Le Corbusier gave it high praise, calling it 'one of the most impressive sights in industry' and 'a guideline for town planning'. Eighty different models of Fiat cars were made in the Lingotto building, until the 1970s when it was outmoded, and finally closed in 1982. Such an influential and avant-garde building could surely not have gone to ruin, and after an architectural competition was held, the winner, Renzo Piano, rebuilt the factory into a modern complex of concert halls, a theatre, convention centre, shopping arcades, and a hotel. The Automotive Engineering faculty of the Polytechnic University of Torino has its headquarters in the eastern part of the building. The remodelling was finished in 1989, and the track retained; used for events such as the Red Bull Lingotto, the 2006 Winter Olympics speed skating, and the filming of movies such as The Italian Job.
