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london1967I'm in Turin at my parents' for a long week-end and yesterday I went to visit the old Lingotto Fiat factory.
It was my first time there and also the first time I took the underground in the city. Linea 1 (the only one so far!) was extended last year to Lingotto.
But the journey started on an old fashioned tram
The car factory
was built in 1916-1923 after the Fiat's board of directors visited America and decided they wanted an American-style factory.
It closed in 1982 as it was deemed to be inadequate but has since been converted into a conference centre, a hotel, a concert hall and a shopping centre. There's certainly a lot of room.
The building is famous for its roof test track which featured in the original version of "The Italian Job".
To access the roof, you have to visit the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli (the Agnellis are the family that own Fiat - Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, and a large chunk of the city!).
The small museum which 'sits' on the roof reminded me of a fort built on stilts although apparently it was meant to be a 'scrigno', a treasure chest:
For 4€ I enjoyed a few 18th century views of Venice by Canaletto and some of Dresden by Bellotto, one Picasso, some paintings by Matisse, a couple of modern Italians (Balla, Modigliani) ...
Then I went out on the roof
Here they have built a restaurant (called, rather unimaginatively "La Pista") and la Bolla (i.e. the Bubble), also by Renzo Piano.
This must be one of the most exclusive meeting rooms in the world
as you can arrive and leave by helicopter (there's a helipad built next to it)
The position is fantastic as you can see the hills across the river
and on a clear day - yesterday it was a bit misty - you can enjoy an 180 degree view of the Alps
(this is the pedestrian bridge over the 'passante ferroviario' which was built for the Winter Games in 2006)
And of course there's the pista (the track).
with the two very steep ramps at each end
After all this modernity, I needed to see something older and so took the underground to Porta Nuova and walked up via Roma and through the centre, but that's for another photo-post.
It was my first time there and also the first time I took the underground in the city. Linea 1 (the only one so far!) was extended last year to Lingotto.
But the journey started on an old fashioned tram
The car factory
was built in 1916-1923 after the Fiat's board of directors visited America and decided they wanted an American-style factory.
It closed in 1982 as it was deemed to be inadequate but has since been converted into a conference centre, a hotel, a concert hall and a shopping centre. There's certainly a lot of room.
The building is famous for its roof test track which featured in the original version of "The Italian Job".
To access the roof, you have to visit the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli (the Agnellis are the family that own Fiat - Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, and a large chunk of the city!).
The small museum which 'sits' on the roof reminded me of a fort built on stilts although apparently it was meant to be a 'scrigno', a treasure chest:
For 4€ I enjoyed a few 18th century views of Venice by Canaletto and some of Dresden by Bellotto, one Picasso, some paintings by Matisse, a couple of modern Italians (Balla, Modigliani) ...
Then I went out on the roof
Here they have built a restaurant (called, rather unimaginatively "La Pista") and la Bolla (i.e. the Bubble), also by Renzo Piano.
This must be one of the most exclusive meeting rooms in the world
as you can arrive and leave by helicopter (there's a helipad built next to it)
The position is fantastic as you can see the hills across the river
and on a clear day - yesterday it was a bit misty - you can enjoy an 180 degree view of the Alps
(this is the pedestrian bridge over the 'passante ferroviario' which was built for the Winter Games in 2006)
And of course there's the pista (the track).
with the two very steep ramps at each end
After all this modernity, I needed to see something older and so took the underground to Porta Nuova and walked up via Roma and through the centre, but that's for another photo-post.
