4 minute read
Cultural Experimentation
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"The opening of Turin is a stage important because it completes the first phase of the project. With Venice, Milan and Turin we start to have a widespread presence in the area and we have the ambition to become the first chain of 100% Italian hostels, with 5 new locations in the next 3 years." - Roberto Franchi, CEO of Combo
After the opening in Venice and Milan, Combo arrives in Turin, near Porta Palazzo, with its vision to be an "open" place capable of welcoming with simplicity and informality. Someone presents a book, someone else exposes his project, others drink coffee. There are those who are stop for a lunch, a drink at the end of the day or someone who works with his laptop while enjoying a snack. Meanwhile, upstairs, you are staying in private or shared functional rooms. All at the same time. Combo is a place of multiplicity, in the Turin district that more than any other, it’s a kaleidoscope of coexistence and energy. Combo was born in the ex-fire station, in a complex that dates to 1883, abandoned for more than 20 years. It has been redesigned thanks to the work of architect Ole Sondresen and interior designer Helga Faletti with an accurate and conscious recovery intervention. Soul and beating heart of Combo is the large ground floor with its 2,500 square meters of interior and exterior. Here, the silos-shaped reception recalls the water accumulators, and the self check-in stations, placed on long poles, tell the public the story of the former barracks. Also on the ground floor, there is Atlas Room, a large soundproofed room characterized by the original rough walls, overlooking the internal courtyard and equipped with all audio / video technologies, it’s the ideal space to organize projections, events and private parties. In the central area, long picnic tables for snacks, a large central stage and the "tub" to host concerts and performances by local and international artists.
"Porta Palazzo was an inspiration for the entire Combo project with its authenticity, contamination and magic." - Michele Denegri, founder of the project
Combo Torino is also a place for breakfast at the bar, lunch/dinner with a cuisine inspired by the extraordinary variety of Porta Palazzo, or simply a coffee or a glass of wine. Here, the environment is characterized by unique furnishings: large common tables in solid Italian
wood, comfortable sofas covered in cotton and linen coated in liquid rubber and original rocking chairs in recycled plastic. Particular attention was given to the soundproofing of the rooms, guaranteed by one flooring made with recycled tires and sound-absorbing panels.
The first and second floors of the building are intended for the reception of travelers and have private and shared rooms, from 2 to 7 beds. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, free wi-fi and lockers for storing your belongings personal. All furnishings are custom made based on original designs and are produced by Piedmontese artisans who have recovered ancient processes adapting them to one contemporary need. A job started with the careful selection of noble materials to be modeled to create a furniture that, thanks to the concept of "adaptive reuse" and to a careful sensitivity to reduction of the environmental impact, recreates in the spaces what Combo is in the ideas: a place connected to the surrounding area. Besides, the beds reflect the identity of Combo: the platforms in solid oak wood - floating between the walls - they create real personal spaces in which to sleep, relax, read or work. Individual lights, USB sockets, and room divider curtains guarantee the privacy of your niche. Helga Faletti chosen the red for the rooms - one of the dominant colors that wants to recall on one hand the old identity of the building and on the other create a vital and energetic space. The shared rooms are joined by double rooms and suites, the latter characterized by unique details: some on two levels with mezzanine, others with private balconies and still others that they recreate real Japanese tatami rooms. All with large lounge spaces and views of the square.
Address: Corso Regina Margherita, 128, 10152 - Turin (Italy)
