Turin is transforming a Pier Luigi Nervi masterpiece into one of Europe’s largest libraries

By the end of 2026, Turin's new Biblioteca Civica Centrale will open inside the Torino Esposizioni complex, one of the most significant examples of 20th-century Italian architecture. Designed by Rafael Moneo’s studio in collaboration with Isolarchitetti, the project will transform Pier Luigi Nervi’s Padiglione Agnelli into the largest public library in Italy and one of the largest in the European Union. In doing so, it will restore a building of invaluable historical significance to the city.

Two hundred million euros for Turin's Biblioteca Civica Centrale, complete with three theatres — one with 1,500 seats, one with 400 seats and one open-air theatre with 500 seats — was too much. Thus, of the project designed by Mario Bellini for the Piedmontese capital, which won the 2000 competition that received 175 proposals, only rolled-up drawings and a dream that never saw the light of day remain.

However, by the end of 2026, Turin will have a new library housed in a building that bears witness to its illustrious past. The city’s new main library will be located within a structure originally designed by Ettore Sottsass Sr. and completed in 1938. It was later expanded by Pier Luigi Nervi (1948–1950) and Riccardo Morandi (1959).

Now, the studio founded by Pritzker Prize laureate Rafael Moneo and Isolarchitetti — born from the ashes of the historic Turin-based firm Gabetti & Isola — is set to work on Nervi’s Padiglione Agnelli project. When it was built, it was the world's largest ferro-concrete structure, a material that the engineer had helped to experiment with and popularise. After many incarnations, this massive space covered by the spectacular ferro-concrete vault will find a new life within the library, following its abandonment after the 2006 Winter Olympics.

The challenge for Moneo and Isolarchitetti was to restore this precious place to its former glory while adapting it for a purpose that inherently involves fragmented spaces filled with books.

For this reason, a vast new area was created beneath the pavilion to house the reception and service functions. This hypogeum floor covers about 5,000 square metres and is 'punctured' by a large square. From here, visitors can enjoy the double height and admire the movement of the concrete on the vault from a completely new perspective.

The central emptying is emphasised by the absence of bookshelves, which instead run along the perimeter across all levels. This leaves room in the rest of the area for tables and chairs for consultation. An internal garden organised into flowerbeds connects the underground square with the Parco del Valentino, with which Torino Esposizioni forms a natural extension.

Main access will be available from both the park and the historic building designed by Sottsass. This building will house an auditorium, a bookshop and several offices, strengthening the connection between the new development and the surrounding area.

In total, an area of 19,380 square meters will be open to the public with nearly 1,500 seats divided between reading areas and lounges, while 3,175 square meters are designated for archives, storage, offices, and services. The library will house nearly one million books, transferred from its current site on Via della Cittadella, which opened in 1960.

Opening image: Rafael Moneo, Isolarchitetti, Construction site of the Central Public Library, Turin, Italy, 2026. Photo by Muzzarini