Turin

Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s Turin Headquarters and Centre for Contemporary Art is situated on Via Modane, a former industrial area of the city previously occupied by the Fergat factory which produced wheel rims for the car industry. The Fondazione purchased the rights to this land from the Turin City Council for a period of 99 years. The rectangular building is 133 metres long, 21 metres wide and 9 metres tall, occupying a surface are of 3,500 square metres. Designed by London based architect Claudio Silvestrin, the building “presents itself to the city in a long, silent form, recalling the timeless ‘being’ of simple, light, rigorous architecture” (C.Silvestrin). It is an ideal container for contemporary art exhibitions, from the movement and installation of the works to the ease of access for the public.
The building was designed to be a neutral space where artists could work freely, without any visual conflict or distraction caused by the surrounding architecture, as well as highly versatile, allowing for the creation and installation of large-scale works. The materials used further underline the essential, simple nature of the architecture, such as the Lecce stone used for the external structure.
Apart from the main exhibition space, the Turin Centre (opened on September 18 2002) also has a special project room for video installations and small-scale exhibitions as well as an educational department for courses and workshops. The main offices are also situated in the building and there is an extensive design and book shop area selling art books, magazines and catalogues, design items and artist editions.
The 144-seat auditorium is fully equipped with the latest audiovisual technology and Spazio, the centre’s cafeteria, was designed by the artist Rudolf Stingel.
The Spazio restaurant is situated on the first floor, where visitors can view works by Amadeo Martegani and Julian Opie.