One man’s vision: the story of Turin’s Lancia Tower
Lancia’s former headquarter building cut quite a dash in Turin’s skyline when it was built, and it’s often been considered the physical representation of the ambition and hubris that ultimately broke the company. But there’s more to this story…
Published in
6 min readAug 11, 2022
“Il Grattacielo Lancia.”
That’s how longtime Turin residents have always referred to the tower that once hosted Lancia’s headquarters. The term is the direct Italian equivalent of “skyscraper,” even though the building’s 16 floors and less than 70 meters of height are unlikely to impress anyone these days.
Nevertheless, the Lancia tower cut quite a dash in the skyline of 1950s Turin, and not everyone liked it.
One man’s vision
The Lancia tower is the brainchild of Gianni Lancia, the son of company founder Vincenzo, to whom the street that runs below the building is currently dedicated.
