manifattura tabacchi taps patricia urquiola & q-bic to convert florence's cigar factory into residences

manifattura tabacchi residences by 2023

In Florence, former cigar factory Manifattura Tabacchi is being transformed as spacious and bright apartments with industrial-inspired lofts by designer Patricia Urquiola and studio q-bic, slated for December 2023 completion. The residential project forms part of the redevelopment plan of Manifattura Tabacchi which will renovate the historical industrial lot into commercial and executive spaces, cultural and training spaces, residential quarters, hospitality, and public green areas by 2026. The 16 buildings native to the lot along with the four new ones are protected by the Cultural Heritage Authority and boast an area of 110,000 square meters in total. Manifattura Tabacchi envisions a complex full of green lifestyle-seeking residents who will live in a neighborhood that doubles as a center for contemporary art, culture, and fashion, a complement to the historic center of Florence.

Before the residences, Manifattura Tabacchi’s Factory had already been revived by Florence-based architecture and design firm q-bic which was unveiled in April 2021. Inside the restored factory, buildings 4 and 5 house workspaces designed for businesses, professionals, and creatives who want to grow their businesses. Each building has three floors whose monumental volumes, double-height ceilings, concrete structures, exposed fixtures, and extensive glazing enjoy a blend between rationalist style and modern functionality. Open work areas underline the character of the new design which celebrates the industrial heritage of the cigar factory by preserving its industrial appeal in the heart of Florence. Exiting the factory, the combined design styles of Urquiola and q-bic grace buildings 7 and 12 respectively, the spaces that will accommodate a total of 45 housing units. The residences aim to offer a new lifestyle concept to the historical Florence designed to house residents looking for spaces where contemporary design flows along the city’s celebrated architecture.

Luca Baldini & Marco Baldini of q-bic with Patricia Urquiola | image © designboom

Manifattura Tabacchi model | image © designboom

Manifattura Tabacchi, in its 10,000 square meters, enhances design and art for a historical and social renewal. In the huge spaces of Manifattura Tabacchi we can find workshops, or rather, the studios of architects, designers, artists who confront and stimulate each other. A school, Poli.Moda, young talents who give life to new ideas and projects, looking for different and more sustainable materials and creating new fashion designs.

Michelangelo Giombini, Manifattura Tabacchi’s head of product development and CEO | image © designboom

Anilla by Patricia Urquiola

Feminine grace becomes the underlying force that drives Patricia Urquiola’s design for Anilla, or Building 7, upon seeing the main façade which features a large bas-relief of an allegorical depiction of heroic working mothers. From the get-go, Urquiola’s presence reverberates as she fuses the existing floors and the exposed structure of beams and posts on the ground floor of the building, intended as commercial space. The distinctive finishes of the two main lobbies reflect the interior of the apartments upstairs, a prelude to the design elements that mark Urquiola’s style.

Going up, there are 21 apartments waiting for their residents to live with Urquiola’s vision. The first floor includes units with a terrace, while the second and third floors accommodate three duplexes featuring sunrooms that let the natural light from the expansive windows spill inside. Two top-floor penthouses, with large terraces and interior gardens, are located in the new structure that was added atop the roof of the existing building.

lobby in Anilla | render by Tecma Solutions

Bricks lining the architectural elements continue the historic vernacular of the cigar factory, resulting in a visual continuity that meanders from the ground ascending to the roofs. These brick walls somewhat appear and disappear at the same time through the screens that maintain their volumes and bring light to the penthouses. Large windows, terraces, and conservatories form a seamless transition between indoors and out, bringing into the space glimpses of the Piazza dell’Orologio and Piazza del Teatro that sit on the residents’ view.

Furnishings and finishes of Anilla

The furnishings and finishes inside the apartments in Anilla convey an interplay between playful tones and a calming atmosphere. Urquiola designs the kitchen in each unit as different from the other, making the custom, made-to-measure approach unique. Stepping into the living room, a new narrative occurs. Some have a curvilinear space while others have an open, fluid corner that sits close by the large windows.

images courtesy of Manifattura Tabacchi (unless stated otherwise) | photos by Valentina Sommariva (unless stated otherwise)

Urquiola intends these spaces to become the heart of the home, a space to burrow oneself into, gather loved ones, or simply enjoy the moment with modern, vibrant aesthetics. The history of Manifattura Tabacchi is underlined through the silver, gold, and platinum finishes, which can be customized from a range of materials chosen by Urquiola. Small spheres of granite, marble, and cement powder fleck the public spaces and interior of the apartments, and the parquet floors, wood paneling, and soft colors reflect the Manifattura palette, creating warm and welcoming interiors in contrast with the industrial exterior.

kitchen in Anilla | image © designboom

living room in Anilla | | render by Tecma Solutions

Puro by q-bic

Studio q-bic takes over Building 12, the home to the production and packaging of finished tobacco products in the past. The oldest building in the complex is named Puro, taken after the Spanish word which means cigar. q-bic retains and renovates the industrial and clean look of Puro, starting with the open and undivided interior and the use of original materials, finishes, and windows. On the first floor, 24 open space lofts enjoy high ceilings, exposed, wooden beams, and covered outdoor spaces. From the size, the apartments then savor natural sunlight from the south-facing windows dominated by the massive metal trusses that support the hipped roof.

Like Urquiola, q-bic opts for open living room spaces to maintain the double-height ceilings’ feature which creates volumes and a new level for a bedroom or pocket terraces cut into the roof line. The result is that living and sleeping areas are clearly distinct, with the mezzanines, for instance, overlooking the living room. The natural light flowing in through the large restored tripartite windows is amplified by the openings created on the roof: pocket terraces and skylights generously illuminate even the spaces under the roof.

To heighten the distinction and dialogue between the original style and the new design, the new structures are made of steel, inspired by the industrial feel of the Manifattura. The metal balcony that gives access to the residences on the first floor evokes the suspended iron walkways that connected the machinery of the thermal power plant at height, while the glass partition walls and raw iron cladding suggest the design of the guardhouses located throughout the buildings.

redevelopment plan of Manifattura Tabacchi

The 25,000 sqm of surface of buildings 7 and 12 will host retail areas, amenities, and public areas, designed with the modern concept of green living by constructing spacious and bright areas with easy access to city facilities, green park areas, and high-level services. Manifattura Tabacchi is set to establish exclusive areas for the residents such as a bike storage room and a bike lab equipped for the maintenance and repair of bikes; a pet room for the grooming of pets; a well-equipped fitness area; a delivery room; a furnished roof-top overlooking the historic center of Florence; and a central concierge service available to the entire Manifattura Tabacchi complex. Buildings 7 and 12 also guarantee environmental sustainability after having been BREEAM Excellent certified, a step that helps the team to integrate design solutions for energy efficiency in the construction and management stages.

Manifattura Tabacchi‘s redevelopment project plans are promoted by the real estate company of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group and by PW Real Estate Fund III LP, a fund managed by Aermont Capital. MTDM – Manifattura Tabacchi Development Management Srl is the development and project management company that manages the entire transformation process of the former factory with the aim of creating a one-of-a-kind regeneration plan: a new neighborhood for the city and a center for contemporary culture, art and fashion, to complement the historic center, open and connected to the world.

project info:

name: Manifattura Tabacchi Residences

designers: Patricia Urquiola, q-bic

developer: Manifattura Tabacchi

location: Florence, Italy