SHOWROOM FIAT ALFA LANCIA Paris London Berlin
BUILT
General project and contractor: Maire Tecnimont S.p.A.
The program of sales and assistance centres for Fiat, Alfa and Lancia are about the creation of images that adopt a unique architectural language, flexible and coherent with regard to the specific characteristics of their various locations. A preliminary planimetric/town-planning analysis revealed a common element between the different works: corner lots in an undistinguished suburban area. It was therefore possible to join the different buildings using an exclusively planimetric report that employed curved lines similar to those that Native Americans used to design on tables or work tools. To allow a more distinct expression of the plan, therefore, the vertical architectural elements are simple combinations of single opaque or transparent panels that give protection from the sun and rain. The showroom glazing consists of windows slanting towards the outside, with the aim of eliminating reflections from the adjacent buildings. The sales and reception areas are distinguished by a large overhanging roof: through a reception designed to facilitate the clients’ entry. The formal and architectural choices allow the centres to be identified as similar elements of “corporate identity” integrated within their urban fabric.