"Ex Cinema Corso" | Turin

The building, originally housing offices and the city's most luxurious cinema palace (the 'Corso' Cinema), was designed in 1925 by Engineer Bonadé Bottino and Architect Giulio Casanova, with the collaboration of Architect Giorgio Ceragioli (for the furnishings and some of the interior decorations). It represents the most significant Art Deco work in Turin. A fire in 1980 completely destroyed the interior spaces and the large cinema hall, while the facades facing Corso Vittorio and Via Carlo Alberto were almost entirely preserved. This was followed by a major restoration project, with the area along Corso Vittorio being repurposed for the construction of an office building, as it appears today. The building was placed under Heritage Protection by Ministerial Decree No. 28/01/1989.

The conservative restoration of the building’s historical facades, carried out in 2014, was conducted in full compliance with the protection order, with the primary goal of preserving the property. This was achieved through the consolidation and rehabilitation of areas in decay, as well as the recovery of the valuable litocemento surfaces and original finishes and colors, which had been concealed by synthetic paints and the remnants of the fire. Specific, carefully calibrated cleaning techniques were applied to each type of surface.