Manifattura Tabacchi is revolutionising Florence with a dynamic new district for contemporary culture, arts, and fashion. Situated just 10 minutes northwest of the city center, a mere 15-minute drive from the airport, and 2.5 km from the Santa Maria Novella train station, this vibrant hub will soon be even more accessible thanks to the upcoming T4 tramline.
Here, culture and sociability intertwine seamlessly. Through a strategic network of roads and cultural activities, the once-abandoned tobacco factory is being transformed into a lively space for education, research, and production, propelling Florence into a future brimming with opportunities.
THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
An ambitious urban redevelopment project is underway, aiming to restore the historic industrial area comprising 16 buildings across 110,000 m². By 2026, this space will house retail outlets, offices, co-working spaces, cultural and educational facilities, residential areas, hospitality venues, public green spaces, and ample parking. Spearheaded by a joint venture established in 2016 by Gruppo Cassa Depositi e Prestiti’s real-estate arm and PW Real Estate Fund III LP, managed by Aermont Capital, the project is being managed by MTDM – Manifattura Tabacchi Development Management S.r.l.
MANIFATTURA TABACCHI TODAY
Polimoda, the prestigious fashion school, was among the first institutions to embrace Manifattura Tabacchi’s urban redevelopment vision, opening its third campus here in January 2020. The iconic building with the clock façade now hosts over 800 international students from 70 countries.
Additionally, Building 7’s ground floor has been transformed into a 1,000 m² space housing five laboratories for graphic design, photography, scenic design, and painting, accommodating over 100 students from the Florence Fine Art Academy. Thanks to a 2020 agreement, the academy moved from its original city center location for the first time.
DogHead Animation, a cutting-edge 2D computer graphics and animation startup, relocated to Building 8’s first floor in December 2019. Since March 2020, this building has also housed the Istituto dei Mestieri d’Eccellenza LVMH (IME), a vocational training course imparting LVMH’s creative, craft, and retail skills to the younger generation.
Since 2018, Manifattura Tabacchi has hosted over 300,000 visitors through a vibrant program of temporary activities in re-purposed areas. Today, these spaces are a creative hive for artists and makers like Archivi Sartoriali, Captain Santors, artisanal streetwear brand Cool Farm by Mauna Kea, Duccio Maria Gambi, SuperDuper, Stefano Mancuso – PNAT, Associazione Arte Continua, Todo Modo, Bulli&Balene and VEDA.
NAM – NOT A MUSEUM
Manifattura Tabacchi is envisioned as a center for experimentation, fostering a contemporary art project known as NAM – Not A Museum. Launched in 2020, NAM promotes experimental art, art production, and scientific research through collaboration among artists, curators, scientists, architects, and both independent and institutional players. This hub guides new generations of artists and curators, addressing contemporary issues and encouraging inter-cultural education and the development of new synergies across Tuscany.
THE MASTERPLAN
The Masterplan aims to preserve the historic industrial architecture through modern renovations that highlight the monumental nature of the buildings and the unique quality of the spaces and materials. Landscape design, a key element, reclaims the former cigar factory’s spaces to create inviting common areas fostering integration.
This ambitious project blends original, repurposed buildings with new constructions, designed by world-renowned architects: the delicate touch of Sanaa (2010 Pritzker Prize winner) in collaboration with Studio Mumbai, and the functional program initially proposed by Concrete Architectural Associates. The development of new buildings was entrusted to studio q-bic and Studio Antonio Perazzi. Residential buildings are designed by Patricia Urquiola, Quincoces-Dragò, Piuarch, and studio q-bic. The project involves constant collaboration with Florence’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and international experts in restoration, conservation, landscape design, and environmental sustainability.
THE FACTORY
In April 2021, work began on the Factory complex, the heart of Manifattura Tabacchi. Opened in April 2023, it has become a cutting-edge creative production center, attracting an international community of professionals and visionaries. The Factory, spanning 21,000 m², includes Buildings 4, 5, 6 and 11, originally designed for cigar and cigarette manufacturing. The architectural design is by Florentine studio q-bic, in collaboration with landscaper Antonio Perazzi.
Buildings 4 and 5 will house new offices, co-working spaces, and commercial activities such as shops, ateliers, cafes, and restaurants on the ground floor, creating a new social hub inspired by Florence’s traditional workshops. This space will be the permanent home for Manifattura Tabacchi’s makers, a creative community already active in the temporary spaces of Building 9, promoting the art of craftsmanship and modern takes on tradition.
Building 11 features Officina Botanica, a stunning hanging garden open to the public, draped over the rationalist-style buildings. Designed by Antonio Perazzi, it showcases local pioneer plant species with over 100 trees and 1,300 shrubs, perennial plants, and herbs, creating an energy-efficient, sustainable, and flexible environment.
GREEN REGENERATION
The Manifattura Tabacchi project emphasizes sustainable regeneration through landscape design by Antonio Perazzi. This includes planting hundreds of trees, creating green spaces, and implementing vertical green surfaces on building façades to improve energy efficiency. The landscape design also features a hanging garden on Building 11, promoting local plant species and creating a large-scale filtering and absorption action for carbon dioxide and air pollutants, ongoing in the Fabbrica dell’Aria installation by neuroscientist Stefano Mancuso and PNAT.
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
On-site mobility re-connects Manifattura Tabacchi with local neighborhoods and Florence through sustainable solutions integrated with low-environmental-impact transportation: tramways, bicycles, and eco-friendly cars. The new Manifattura Tabacchi will be an open, permeable space with green areas, squares, and public spaces for social gatherings, enhancing the area’s identity. Pedestrian and bicycle access points will complement the historic entrance at Via delle Cascine, along with restricted-access driveways and a designated tram stop on the new T4 tramline.
Welcome to the new Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence – where history and innovation collide to create a vibrant future.
Via delle Cascine, 35 50144 Firenze
