Following 17 months of renovations, Palazzo degli Affari reopens, with the official inauguration held on July 11. The venue for congresses, conferences, conventions, exhibitions and cultural events is located right beside the city’s main station, Santa Maria Novella, proving a unique selling point for Florence in terms of events of this kind.
The building was carefully restyled, retaining the original twentieth-century features. The works was carried out by Firenze Fiera in collaboration with Politecnica. Elio Di Franco was responsible for the architectural project, Consilium for the plant engineering, and engineer Riccardo Chiti for all energy aspects.
The 4,000 square metre building is arranged over 6 levels with 15 large and adaptable rooms fully made with sustainable materials. Equipped with eco-chic furnishings and new generation smart technologies, natural light filters through large windows from where you can see the main monuments of the city. The new spaces can accommodate up to 1,500 guests, with 46% of the energy produced deriving from renewable sources. Additional touches include the reduction of indoor electromagnetic pollution, 100% soundproofed rooms, and the renovation of the panoramic terrace on the top floor with a new lounge area.
The inauguration was introduced and coordinated by the president of Firenze Fiera, Lorenzo Becattini, with talks by the mayor of Florence Dario Nardella, the president of the Tuscan Regional Council Eugenio Giani, president of the Chamber of Commerce Leonardo Bassilichi, and president of Fondazione CR Firenze Luigi Salvadori.
Architect Pierluigi Spadolini was honoured 100 years after his birth with the screening of a short film by Felice Limosani in his name, detailing his many achievements. The Spadolini family contributed to the redevelopment along with Fondazione CR Firenze. The screening was followed with speeches by the president of the University of Florence Alessandra Petrucchi, the president of the Architects Foundation of Florence Massimo Ruffilli, UniFi professor Mariella Zoppi, and UniFi professor emeritas and architect Elio Di Franco.
President of Firenze Fiera, Lorenzo Becattini commented, “We are returning Palazzo degli Affari to the city and the world of events in an important step for growth in the sector and for the economic activities of Florence and the territory, as well as for the relaunch of Firenze Fiera”.