Palazzo della Luce is a beautiful neoclassical style property constructed in 1911 and now registered as a historical building. Located in downtown, it’s restoration is a part of Living Supreme brand comprising heritage properties of Turin, redeveloped with innovative and advanced technical expertise providing premium living and work spaces in the heart of the city. Having seen a century of development around it and many changes itself, Palazzo della Luce is revived for mixed-use comprising luxury residences, premium offices and a bank hall as well as cafes and catering functions. The design concept actively engages with the potential of different parts of the building for transformation, addition of a new program and restoration of the existing, balancing these possibilities to evolve a singular sophisticated space that respects the heritage while ensuring its lasting use.
Retaining the historic stone exteriors and structure intact along with its ornamentation and stone sculptures at its pinnacle, the design strategy is to insert a new program and relevant alterations internally and modernizing it for new use. Situated in the heart of the old palazzo, is a large 1200 sqm semi-circular former banking hall for the Ministry of Finance featuring a ceiling height of 22 meters. This height provides an opportunity to incorporate mezzanines and galleries for archives, representative offices, individual and multiple offices and an open public hall. The project also comprises 8 units of prime offices organized in open plan with flexible furniture layout on lower levels and 12 luxury customized apartments with terraces on upper levels. An additional level is built on the original open roof for private penthouses with green terraces. All residences feature latest amenities notably indoor parking, private gym, porter’s lodge as well as private roof gardens for views of Turin city.
Continuing the theme of Living Supreme projects, this intervention in the historical building involves careful spatial reconfiguration to optimize the historical frame-work for new users without affecting its grandeur and structure. It gives opportunity to consider long-term maintenance, circulation, separate private and public access points and introduce greater degrees of transparency and lightness for the residential floors. Contemporary minimal details, efficient layout and rich material palettes contrast, enhance and thus celebrate the classical ornamentation and scale. By capturing the spirit of its historical past, while reconfiguring its spaces for contemporary use, the project infuses a new life into the property, regenerates the neighbourhood through its extensive program and provides a model for heritage interventions.
