A historic depot transformed into a cultural centre

The historic railway depot in Turin, one of the most significant examples of early 20th-century railway architecture in Italy, is undergoing major refurbishment. The project aims to turn the building into a cultural hub open to the public, where the maintenance of historic rolling stock will coexist with guided tours, exhibitions and events.

Architectural and structural features

The depot was originally built in 1911 as a circular railway facility equipped with an electric turntable. Despite suffering damage during the war, it has retained its distinctive layout of three-span frames arranged radially. The building forms a semicircle measuring 127 meters externally and 73 meters internally, with heights ranging from 6 to 8.65 meters.

The structure relies on reinforced concrete columns and features large windowed façades and wide access openings for railway vehicles. Of the 32 tracks leading to the central 21-metre turntable, two pass through the building at ground level, while the others were historically used for train storage.

Structural strengthening of reinforced concrete elements

The refurbishment programme includes a major phase of structural strengthening of the reinforced concrete elements, followed by restoration of the internal and external surfaces and the modernisation of building systems. All work is being carried out in accordance with the Regional Heritage Commission of Piedmont.

For the structural concrete strengthening works, Laterlite supplied high-performance RureGold materials designed to improve the mechanical performance of the original reinforced concrete while preserving the historic integrity of the building.

Micro Gold Steel: advanced HPFRC for structural strengthening

Micro Gold Steel is a two-component HPFRC micro-concrete reinforced with metal fibres, specially developed for the structural strengthening of reinforced concrete structures, including in seismic applications. When mixed with water it produces a highly workable and highly adhesive mortar with excellent ductility and long-term durability.

Unlike traditional structural mortars, Micro Gold Steel exhibits post-cracking hardening behaviour, increasing residual tensile strength and offering a higher capacity for energy dissipation. This makes it suitable for structural strengthening interventions applied in thicknesses between 20 and 50 mm.

FRCM system with PBO fibres

In addition to the micro-concrete, the project applied the RureGold FRCM system consisting of:
• PBO-MESH 105 unidirectional mesh, containing 105 g/m² of PBO fibres
• MX-PBO Concrete inorganic matrix, specifically formulated for use on reinforced concrete structures

This combination ensures optimal transfer of stresses from the structural element to the reinforcement, improving the global performance of the structure without excessive added thickness.

A new life for a historic railway landmark

Once completed, the restored depot will once again serve the railway sector by housing the storage and maintenance of heritage trains. At the same time, the building will open to the public, offering exhibition spaces, conference areas, archive facilities and a museum displaying significant railway artefacts from across the Piedmont region.