Lomography

The Red Giants/Ex Fiat Steel Production Plant
written by champi on April 3rd, 2009 , 3 comments (5 votes)

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If you ask somebody what he knows of Turin, he’ll say you “FIAT”! In fact the recent story of this city is tightly linked to it’s industrial activity and automobile design and production, which is quite a bit of luck for any lomographer who likes to picture industrial architecture (old or recent!).

Fiat bought the factory (already used for steel production) in 1917 and adapted it to the production of materials for the production of cars, motors and planes. With the evolution of the automobile industry and the second world war, it undergone a huge expansion of the plant size and number of workers. The foundries and mills occupied several blocks, connected by railways and tunnels.

After being absorbed by Teksid (Fiat’s metallurgical and steel production group) in 1978, itself included in the Finsider group in 1982, the production activity began to decrease due to the metallurgic crisis, until it definitely closed in 1992.

But the red giants stand still! In fact the remains of the factory will be integrated in a big re-qualification project of the neighborhood, converting the plant area in a park, and the red giants in proper pieces of the city’s industrial history. The project also includes the re-qualification of the big shed left standing in a place for events and sports activities. The park will be 456 000 square meters wide, a new big green lung for the city, and will be ready in 2011 for the 150 years of Italian’s unity.

As it is now the access is forbidden for the non workers, but it’s quite easy to find a hole in the fence and enter for a cool walk and many great shots! If you’re shy or don’t feel like “breaking in”, you can still find some points of view from all around the area… Or you can wait till 2011!!

If you can read Italian you can check the city’s website about the project where I found many information’s on this location: http://www.comune.torino.it/comitatoparcodora/