Trasformare conservando: il restauro della Ex Manifattura Tabacchi a Firenze / Transforming through preservation: the restoration of Ex Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence

Abstract

Built in the early 1930s following the architectural rationalist principles, Manifattura Tabacchi was an important production site in Florence, until its decommissioning in 2001. The Recovery Plan in 2019 marked the beginning of a virtuous process of urban regeneration, one that draws inspiration from the uniqueness of the monumental complex, not by turning it into a museum, but by reweaving it into the urban and social fabric in which it is embedded. The transition from the urban scale of the masterplan to the detailed scale of the restoration project for the individual buildings took place through a design process conducted in dialogue with the Soprintendenza, with the aim of reconciling innovation with preservation. Attention to detail, care in the reuse of materials, have made it possible to transform through preservation, opening the renewing spaces to new functions, and returning them to the community without irreparably losing their original character.