manifattura tabacchi masterplan

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 90,000 m2, much of which will be 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, they reimagined 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. On the ground floor of the buildings surrounding the square, taverne, trattoria and artisans in workshops would do a flourishing trade. Not only did they earn their living from the square, but they helped it thrive. On the second floor were the offices of the city administration and lawyers who supported the sellers and artisans below. Finally, people lived on the floors above. 

Thus, the square was constantly ‘alive’. Somewhere, there would always be a candle burning into the early hours of the morning. However, modernisation of cities towards the end of the 19th-century – followed swiftly by the invention of the car and the advent of motorways in the 1950s and 60s – meant everything changed. Squares lost their role in the city. And more recently, the digital revolution has created a further shift: shopping and socialising is now also done online, causing a new disconnect. 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.