manifattura tabacchi masterplan

Concrete developed the masterplan and urban design for the site, shaped the overall programming, and designed the restoration and interior of the "Fabbrica", the beating heart of the area. The masterplan envisions an articulated functional mix where the original and newly constructed buildings house schools, studios and workshops, office and co-working spaces, residential lofts, a hotel, a student residence, and a brewery: the gates that isolated the factory have been opened and the walls removed to open the new complex to the city and the world, 24/7. 

Manifattura Tabacchi is a harmonious ensemble of different elements, hosting many diverse activities: from Polimoda, the world-renowned fashion school, to a luxury hotel, from Officina Botanica, a luscious hanging garden designed by landscape artist Antonio Perazzi to student housing and NAM, ’Not a Museum’.  Concrete additionally proposed opening up the area early on through temporary functions and events, reconnecting the long-closed factory with its surrounding neighborhood.

Quietly ushering in an artisanal revival, Concrete’s ambitious blueprint proposes a ‘village’ for the makers and shakers of tomorrow; a veritable boost for the ‘hidden’ neighbourhood above Parco delle Cascine; and a vibrant new heart for the Tuscan capital. The industrial site consists of 16 buildings spread across 100,000 m2, much of which is preserved and revered in concrete’s ambitious plans. In typical fashion, Concrete approached the project from a rare perspective. Instead of focusing on the existing buildings on the vast industrial site, they looked instead at how they could create ‘life’ there. Taking a future-forward approach and drawing inspiration from Florence’s heritage and the history of the Manifattura Tabacchi, reimagining the complex with a two-fold concept in mind: the interactive square and the convergence of tradition and technology.

The starting point was the piazza. For centuries, the square was the point of convergence in an Italian town or city. People would head here daily to trade their wares, buy cuts of meat, wine and spices or haggle over handmade goods. Others would work on the square or simply socialise around the fountain with their fellow city dwellers – or those from beyond the city’s boundaries. In short: life revolved around this public space. To truly bring Manifattura Tabacchi to life with something happening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it was essential to recreate a piazza aesthetic at the heart of the concept.

Concrete activated the square "Fabbrica", by programming the central pavilion, surrounded by the stores and workshops of artisans, restaurants and event spaces, topped with workspaces above.  This square is where locals and visitors to Florence can find creative inspiration, seek out meaningful collaborations, marvel at contemporary artisans at work, explore fashion trends from students of the Polimoda – or simply fuel up on espresso, breakfast, lunch or dinner in a cutting-edge environment.