DoBe Group Delegation Visits Manifattura Tabacchi Urban Regeneration Project in Florence, Italy
Recently, a delegation from DoBe Group visited Florence, Italy, to inspect the Manifattura Tabacchi urban renewal project. During the inspection period, the visit was hosted by the project's CEO Michelangelo Giombini, who provided an introduction to the project. Both parties exchanged views on the potential for cooperation between China and Italy in the field of urban renewal.
Manifattura Tabacchi was originally the Italian National Tobacco Factory, built in the 1930s and designed by the renowned architect Pier Luigi Nervi, showcasing the Rationalist architectural style. The factory covers an area of approximately 110,000 square meters and consists of 16 buildings, once serving as one of Florence's key industrial sites. After ceasing operations in 2001, the factory remained idle for a long time until 2016 when a large-scale urban renewal plan was launched, aiming to transform it into a multifunctional new district integrating creativity, culture, education, commerce, and residential functions.
Manifattura Tabacchi emphasizes preserving the historical architectural features while incorporating modern functions and international resources, achieving a multidimensional integration of education, creativity, commerce, and residential living. The overall park planning follows the concept of "opening space to the city", removing walls and reopening entrances to reintegrate the formerly closed industrial area into the urban life network, transforming it into a 24/7 open, multi-service mixed-use community.
The park features a diverse functional layout, including schools, artist studios, creative labs, co-working spaces, apartments, hotels, student dormitories, and a craft brewery. Among these, the renowned Florentine fashion institute Polimoda has established a new campus within the park, offering courses in fashion management, creative design, and brand strategy. This infusion of talent and academic vitality continuously energizes the park, driving the project's internationalization and the integration of educational resources. Additionally, international real estate firm Hines invested €80 million through its European Value Fund 2 (HEVF 2) to renovate buildings in the park, planning to construct student housing with over 500 beds to enhance supporting facilities.
In terms of sustainability, the project continues to advance related initiatives: introducing geothermal energy systems and smart water management, planning to plant over a thousand new trees, and creating a rooftop garden on the central B11 building to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
During the inspection period, DoBe Group and the project party engaged in in-depth discussions on investment and cooperation in urban renewal projects between China and Italy. Both parties agreed that the Manifattura Tabacchi project successfully integrated modern functional spaces while preserving historical buildings, creating a vibrant new urban district full of creativity and providing valuable experience for Sino-Italian cooperation in urban renewal.
This inspection deepened DoBe Group's understanding of European urban renewal models and laid the foundation for future cooperation with Italy in culture, design, and urban renewal. DoBe Group will continue to focus on and actively connect with international high-quality resources such as Manifattura Tabacchi to promote the integrated development of the creative economies of China and Italy.
