Arata Isozaki and Massimiliano Fuksas head to head in the project to transform the branch acquired by Fiat last December in viale Belfiore in Florence into a huge centre of attraction. The invitation was given by the Comune di Firenze and both accepted. For Fuksas it is his first project in Tuscany’s capital whilst Isozaki has already proved himself with his project in piazza Castellani degli Uffici (the large canopy which has been criticised by Vittorio Sgarbi, the under-secretary for cultural heritage).

They are not the only big names to take up a challenge in Florence: the idea for Palazzo Vecchio, still to be considered, is to launch a limited competition for a major redesign – as was the case for the new station for high velocity trains (on the other side of the street) for which an international competition was set, with Gae Aulenti on the jury who in Florence has already designed the columns at stazione Leopolda.