Galleria San Federico, Turin

Galleria San Federico is a commercial building in the historic center of Turin. Built in the 1930s, it houses numerous commercial premises, offices and a historic cinema.

In 1931, on the proposal of the podestà Thaon di Revel , he put forward the hypothesis of the restructuring of the previous Galleria Natta (later Geisser ) present in the Isola San Federico , creating a new covered commercial area that would add to the already existing Galleria Subalpina and Galleria Umberto I. The project was therefore inserted in the context of the massive renovation of via Roma and the surrounding blocks which took place between 1931 and 1937; in 1932 the construction site was started on a project by the architect Federico Canova and the engineer Vittorio Bonadè Bottino, who also took care of the simultaneous construction of the nearby Hotel Principi di Piemonte.

The project immediately stood out for its features of modernity and prestige compared to the previous structure, providing for large spaces for shops, the construction of warehouses and underground garages and, moreover, numerous office spaces and a new cinema, to replace the old Cinema Meridiana . The works were characterized by their rapid pace and ended in 1933, just one year after the opening of the building site. The historic headquarters of the newspaper La Stampa occupied the first offices and, in 1934, the great Cinema Rex was also inaugurated . Later the SAI insurance company also established its headquarters here . Since then, the Galleria San Federico has been a prestigious location for shops, jewelers, professional studios, also hosting the headquarters of the Juventus football club from 1965 to 1985. Also during the 2000s, the gallery underwent restoration work that also including the total renovation of the historic Cinema Lux.

The Galleria San Federico is a typical example of an eclectic-style "heaven-earth" building, present in major Italian and European cities. Its setting, with a "T" planimetry, allows three access routes from the surrounding via Bertola , via Roma and via Santa Teresa . It develops over six floors, four of which above ground, plus the relative mezzanine and the attic. The roof is characterized by an elliptical barrel vault, surmounted by domes at the three entrances and by the large central dome which dominates the access stairway of the current Cinema Lux.

Numerous commercial premises are located on the street level, while the mezzanine and upper floors house representative offices and professional studios. An access ramp located in via Bertola leads to the two underground floors used as a garage and warehouse area.