Over time, the former Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence has gradually become a new, creative venue and an exchange center, an area under total revolution that is opening up completely to the city and its inhabitants.

B1, the last building in the complex, an old tobacco storage warehouse, thus takes on a new life, becoming a student residence.

The activities associated with the student residence are located on the ground floor and basement, as far as common areas are concerned, while apartments and rooms, some of which are used as hostels, are on the upper levels.

The blue light perceived inside, produced by the patina on the windows that served to protect tobacco against the sunlight, inspired us for what later became the concept of the entire facility: blue tobacco.

The blue and tobacco shades, reinterpreted with different finishes and materials, became the signature elements of the interior design first, and of the branding later.

The image of the 1950s rationalist building, with a brick base and a structure featuring dovetailed concrete beams, was retained, not only due to direct constraints, but also in order to preserve memories of the past.

The vegetation that took over the outdoor and indoor spaces during the years of disuse has also become an integral part of the project and has been reinterpreted by Parc’Noveau as the main protagonist and fil rouge that visually connects the common spaces located on the ground floor and basement.

Although the aesthetics have remained unchanged, the building has evolved in several ways, which resulted in the achievement of LEED and Well certifications.