Showing posts with label Torino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Torino. Show all posts

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Lingotto Building


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.

Red Bull Lingotto

Last year, Red Bull held a special race in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification, and the 65th anniversary of Vespa. The event had multiple stages and challenges including a timed tire change and riding up the spiralling ramps to the roof of the Lingotto building, an old Fiat factory in Torino, in exactly 90 seconds, no more, no less. Once on the rooftop track competitors raced two laps; with the winner being the one with the two closest times for each lap. The amazing rooftop track was built to test the original Fiat cars.






Saturday, July 21, 2012

Olympics

Italy has hosted three of the modern Olympic Games. In 1956 they held the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, in 1960 the Summer Olympics in Rome, and in 2006 the Winter Olympics in Torino.



Monday, May 28, 2012

L'esposizione internazionale fotografica a Torino


La Domenica del Corriere
4 March 1900

L'esposizione internazionale fotografica a Torino: La visita dei duchi d'Aosta: The International Photographic Exhibition in Turin: The Visit of the Duke of Aosta

Monday, April 23, 2012

Pastiglie Leone: La storia


The story behind Italian confectioners, Pastiglie Leone. The brand was established in Torino, in 1857.