A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Turin as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting offices in Turin.
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History & Geography
The city of Turin sits on the bank of the Po River in northern Italy in the Piedmont region, surrounded on two sides by the Alps, the largest mountain range in Europe. Running through the city is the Sangone River as well as the Dora Riparia and the Stura di Lanzo, tributaries of the Po. Turin originated as a Roman military camp and the traditional Roman grid system can still be seen in Turin, especially in the Quadrilatero Romano neighbourhood. After the fall of the Roman Empire Turin was occupied by a succession of kingdoms and people, including the Lombards, the Franks under Charlemagne, and finally the Counts of Savoy. By the 13th century Turin was a thriving city of 20,000 citizens. Turin saw refurbishment and redesign during the 15th century with many of its spectacular gardens and palaces being constructed, as well as the University of Turin. The city’s walls were further enlarged in the 17th century by Emmanuel Philibert. In 1706 Turin was besieged by the French during the War of Spanish Succession, however they were unable to breach the city’s defenses. Turin continued life as the capital of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, and was an important part of the effort to unify Italy. The 19th century saw a time of rapid industrialization for the city, which by the middle of the century had grown to over 250,000 people. By the 19th century the population had grown to 430,000. Turin became known as a centre of the automotive industry, and remains as the hub of the Italian auto industry to this day. For this reason the city was badly bombed by the Allies during WWII. However the city was very rapidly rebuilt after the war and continued to prosper. It is today a city of almost a million and is known as ‘the Detroit of Italy’.
Economy
Currently Turin has the third largest economy of any city in Italy after Rome and Milan. The city regularly has a GDP of over 25 billion Euros and if one includes the whole metropolitan area this figure rises to over 40 billion Euros, approximately 3.8 percent of the Italian GDP. Manufacturing and engineering are the largest industries in the city, with automotive engineering and production holding the dominant place. Among the automotive companies that have factories in the city are Fiat, Lancia, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Bertoi, Iveco and Giugiaro. General Motors also runs and extensive research facility in Turin. In addition to manufacturing and engineering however Turin has a host of other industries, including telecoms and the production of chocolate. Major companies headquartered in the city include Telecom Italia, Bertone, Martini & Rossi, Olivetti and Lavazza. Sports equipment giant Kappa is also based in Turin, as is the insurance group Intesa Sanpaulo. The computers and electronics industries have also been growing of late in Turin and currently employ approximately 6,000 people. Turin has a healthy tourist industry as well, being regularly visited by over six million tourists every year on average.
Tourism & Culture
Turin has a plethora of sites and activities for its many visitors. The city is the historical home of the House of Savoy, Italy’s royal house, and as a result has a selection of grandiose Royal houses and palaces. The most famous of these is the Royal Palace of Turin built in the 17th century. In addition there is the Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Carignano, Castello del Valentino and the Villa della Regina. Another popular tourist destination is the Egyptian Museum of Turin, considered one of the most respected archaeology and anthropology museums in the world. The city is also famous for the Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth purported to show an image of Jesus Christ. Turin is also famous for its chocolate, particularly the iconic Gianduiotto, shaped like an upside down boat and wrapped in foil. Every year the city holds a chocolate festival which lasts for two weeks called the Cioccola. Equally famous is the city’s football team, Juventus of Turin. Juventus play in distinctive white and black striped jerseys and is historically Italy’s most successful football club. Turin recently hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics and at the time was the largest city to have ever done so.
Transportation
Turin is served by the Caselle International Airport Sandro Pertini in the town of Caselle Torinese, approximately eight miles from the city itself. The city is in the middle of constructing an ambitious subway system, dubbed the metrotorino, the first phase of which has already been completed and links Turin to the nearby town of Colegno. Turin also has an extensive bus and taxi network. Currently Turin is refurbishing much of its transportation infrastructure, including dealing with general roadworks to increase the flow of traffic, as well as creating more underpasses and flyovers.
In the last few years Turin has seen a significant amount of new office space be built, however the main area for office space is still the historic centre of the town. Here much of the office space is in historic buildings, originally residential, transformed into offices. The prime office rent hovers around EUR 190 per square metre per year in the central area of Turin and about EUR 120 per square metre per year on the periphery. Due to the investment in the infrastructure of the city the future of the office market in Turin is fairly positive, however much will depend on the outcome of the current financial crisis involving Europe.
