The building subject to the renovation project is a late 19th-century workshop, originally constructed by the Tosi family as the headquarters of the factory producing winnowers and agricultural machines “Tosi Carlo e Figli.”
The workshop was part of the small manufacturing hub of Formigine known as “la Pila,” of which today only this building and the adjacent Ex Officine Tosi remain. Initially located on the outskirts of the town, it reflected the agricultural vocation of the area, but following the residential expansion of the mid-20th century it now lies at the heart of the urban center, along Via Giardini, the main road linking Modena and Maranello.
During the Second World War, it was partially bombed, and even today the signs of the postwar reconstruction are still visible. The Tosi company closed in 1975, and in the following years the workshop hosted various activities, including a mechanical workshop and a home appliance repair company.
The renovation project focused on enhancing the architectural features tied to its original function. This required an in-depth study of the building’s transformations over time, a reading of its “stratigraphy” that guided the decisions on what to preserve, what to remove, and which elements to introduce, giving new life to a space that could host its new role as an architecture studio without forgetting the one that generated it.
With the dual aim of preserving the building’s architectural identity while ensuring high thermal performance, an external thermal coat was applied. This allowed the external plastered appearance to remain unaltered, while the interior revealed the original structure and materials. The removal of plaster, partitions, and false ceilings exposed the load-bearing brick walls and wooden trusses. On these surfaces, the traces of time are still legible: the signs of wartime bombing, recognizable in the different colors of the bricks; bricked-up openings that once connected to the adjacent building; and anchoring points for machinery and workshop equipment.
The wooden beams reveal sections of different sizes, a result of postwar extensions, as well as burn marks left by a fire, tangible reminders of the building’s history. Eliminating the internal partitions restored the original spatiality of the large open workshop, a bright and unified environment.
The new structural reinforcements consist of steel columns bolted to the existing half-columns that support the trusses, conceived as natural extensions of the original elements. Apart from these and the mechanical systems, deliberately left exposed, the new insertions are limited to furniture and a glazed volume serving as a meeting room.
At the center of the building, the rectangular pit once used for mechanical repairs has been transformed into a large recessed planter housing a tree. In this way, greenery becomes an element of memory, reinterpreting a characteristic feature of the building’s former function. Though consisting of just a single plant, it plays a central role within the space, visible from every angle both inside and out, enhancing the visual comfort of those who work, visit, or simply pass through.
The renovation project is based on the contrast between existing and new materials, between the traces of time and contemporary interventions, in a balance that restores the building’s original spatial quality while enriching it with a new function. The building is not only a workplace but also a space for meeting and exchange, creativity and community, open to the people of Formigine. Where once agricultural machines were assembled, today a laboratory of ideas and projects takes shape, capable of blending memory and innovation in a dynamic environment deeply rooted in the history of the place.
