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{{Short description|Building complex and former factory in Turin, Italy}}
{{About|the building complex|the neighbourhood|Lingotto (neighbourhood)}}
{{Expand Italian|topic=struct|Lingotto (comprensorio)|date=May 2024}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2013}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Fiat Lingotto veduta-1928.jpg|thumb|Historical view of Lingotto building with the test track on the roof (1928)]]

'''Lingotto''' is a building complex on Via Nizza in [[Turin]], Italy. It once housed a car factory built by Italian automotive company [[Fiat]] and today houses the administrative headquarters of the manufacturer and a multipurpose centre projected by architect [[Renzo Piano]]. 

== History ==
{{stack|[[File:Fiat Lingotto Rooftop Racetrack 3.jpg|thumb|Helix access ramp to move cars up to a higher level of the former [[Fiat]] factory (2013).]]}}
In 1916, construction started on the complex, and it was completed in 1923. The design by the young architect [[Giacomo Matté-Trucco]] was unusual in that it had five floors, with raw materials going in at the ground floor, and cars built on a line that went up through the building. Finished cars emerged at rooftop level to go onto a {{convert|1500|m|km ft mi|adj=on}} long<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/roadster-life/a-test-track-in-the-sky-the-story-of-fiats-lingotto-factory-98b66985bbfd|title=A test track in the sky: the story of Fiat's Lingotto factory|date=2022-08-01}}</ref> [[Race track|test track]], with spiral concrete access ramps at each end.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sudjic |first=Deyan |title=Fifty Modern Buildings That Changed the World |publisher=[[Conran Octopus]] |isbn=978-1840916805 |edition=1st |publication-date=2015-03-16 |page=16 |language=en}}</ref>

The construction was carried out by the company of G A Porcheddu. It was the largest car factory in the world at that time. For its time, the Lingotto building was ''[[avant garde]]'', influential, and impressive&mdash;[[Le Corbusier]] called it "one of the most impressive sights in industry", and "a guideline for town planning". In its lifetime, the factory manufactured 80 different car models, notably the 1936 [[Fiat 500 "Topolino"|Fiat Topolino]].{{fact|date=August 2025}}

By the late 1970s, the factory had become obsolete — having been superseded by the larger and more advanced [[Fiat Mirafiori]] factory — and a decision was made to finally close it in 1982. The closure of the plant led to much public debate about its future, and how to recover from [[industrial decline]] in general. An architectural competition was held, which was eventually awarded to [[Renzo Piano]], who envisioned an exciting public space for the city. The old factory was restored into a modern complex, with [[concert halls]], [[theatre]], a [[convention centre]], [[shopping]] arcades, and a [[hotel]]. The eastern portion of the building is the headquarters of the Automotive Engineering faculty of the [[Polytechnic University of Turin]]. The work was completed in 1989. The track was retained, and can still be visited today on the top floor of the shopping mall and hotel.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}} The top floor contains an art gallery that houses the art collection of [[Gianni Agnelli]] (1921 – 2003).<ref name=":0" />

Similar rooftop tests tracks exist, including at [[Impéria Automobiles|Impéria]] in Nessonvaux in Belgium and [[Palacio Alcorta|Palacio Chrysler]] in Buenos Aires, Argentina.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jalopnik.com/5745797/chryslers-amazing-secret-rooftop-test-track|work=Jalopnik|title=The Amazing Secret Rooftop Test Track|date=2011-01-28}}</ref> From 1928<ref>{{cite web|url=https://flagspot.net/flags/be-wlgtr.html|title=Trooz (Municipality, Province of Liège, Belgium)|date=2007-12-08}}</ref> to 1958, Impéria had a track over {{convert|1000|m|km ft mi|adj=off}} long that was built partially on top of the factory.

==In popular culture==
{{stack|[[File:LingottoPalazzina4.jpg|thumb|The ''Palazzina'' building (2011).]]}}
The Lingotto building is featured extensively in the [[Alberto Lattuada]] film ''[[Mafioso (1962 film)|Mafioso]]'' (1962).{{fact|date=August 2025}}

The original Lingotto rooftop test track features briefly in the getaway sequence in the film ''[[The Italian Job]]'' (1969).{{fact|date=August 2025}}

The building is featured in an episode of ''[[The Amazing Race 20|The Amazing Race]]'' (S20 E04) that originally aired in the United States on 11 March 2012.{{fact|date=August 2025}}

The building and test track were featured{{when|date=August 2025}} on the first episode of [[James May]]'s ''Cars of the People''.{{fact|date=August 2025}}

==See also==

== References ==
{{Reflist|1}}

==Bibliography==

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lingotto}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070126110909/http://www.fotogian.com/oval.html Photos of Oval Lingotto]
* [http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Fiat_Works.html Great Buildings Entry]
* [http://googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=1479&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=45.031993,7.665474&z=17 Google Earth view of Lingotto]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200307/http://www.focchi.it/projects/lingotto-exhibition-center/ About the project of Lingotto Exhibition Center]

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[[Category:Buildings and structures in Turin|Lingotto Building]]
[[Category:Fiat Group factories]]
[[Category:Motor vehicle assembly plants in Italy]]