The new life of Turin’s former Pastore factory

Camplus Regio Parco in Turin, opened in mid-2021, is a new residence run by one of the leading Italian companies operating in the fast-growing student housing sector. The project by the Turin-based practice Picco Architetti for the investor Taurus srl redeveloped and repurposed part of an imposing historic former industrial complex located in the northern part of the city, close to the river Dora and the Monumental Cemetery. For decades, the company Benedetto Pastore produced security systems in a factory that was gradually expanded and continued to operate until the end of the 1980s.
The complex was extensively redeveloped. In the three-quarters of the block occupied by almost 20,000 square metres of a monumental complex, an innovative investment resulted in a hybrid project that brings together major new functions in a neighbourhood with great potential. The main façade of the complex facing onto the tree-lined avenue of Corso Novara has a permeable design and is devoted to retail and catering functions, while new-generation student housing occupies the rear section. Most of the interior spaces have been redesigned as part of a large L-shaped layout.
Camplus Regio Parco caters for the many students attending the city’s universities, particularly the nearby University of Turin, but is also open to tourists, offering them a more flexible and dynamic year-round alternative to the more traditional forms of accommodation.
The nodal point of the distribution layout at the intersection between the two sections is the entrance hall which occupies the entire corner facing onto the street. The wall consists of full-height windows that interrupt the restored continuity of the façades, whose industrial character is preserved by an intervention that meets today’s requirements for re-functionalisation and energy efficiency, while at the same time preserving the industrial heritage for which the city, the former capital of the House of Savoy, is renowned. Cristiano Picco “was convinced of the importance of improving access to the student residence by locating the entrance in an independent position on the corner between Via Perugia and Via Padova. The entrance also extends vertically inside the volume thanks to the three-level empty space.”
With its three above-ground floors and 10,200 square metres of interior space, it offers accommodation in line with the latest European hospitality standards, with 307 beds in single rooms, double rooms and small apartments grouped around common areas. It has reception areas, study and meeting rooms, a communal kitchen, a laundry, a gym, a bicycle park, relaxation areas and even a covered Padel court in the centre of the inner courtyard, all of which are located on the ground floor and accessible from the entrance.
The functional furnishings and finishes fit in with the industrial spirit of the complex, including the Italian ceramic tiles from Caesar which greet visitors at the entrance and then accompany them into the interior of the building. The bright, angular lobby is dominated by the terracotta-concrete look of the One collection, while the Mud coloured version brings a touch of warmth to the study and meeting rooms, where it is installed in 120×120 cm and 60×60 cm sizes. The Pillar series was chosen for the bedrooms, corridors, bathrooms and gym changing rooms in the Taupe and Sand coloured 30×60 cm and 60×60 cm versions. Inspired by sedimentary stones, it reproduces the warm shades of classic French limestones, which have always been popular for their versatility and well balanced aesthetics.