Torino Esposizioni is an

exhibition hall A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

and convention centre in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

which was primarily completed in 1948, designed by

Pier Luigi Nervi Pier Luigi Nervi (21 June 1891 – 9 January 1979) was an Italian engineer and architect. He studied at the University of Bologna graduating in 1913. Nervi taught as a professor of engineering at Rome University from 1946 to 1961 and is known wor ...

. The building is made with primarily ''

ferrocement Ferrocement or ferro-cement is a system of construction using reinforced mortar or plaster (lime or cement, sand, and water) applied over an "armature" of metal mesh, woven, expanded metal, or metal-fibers, and closely spaced thin steel rods ...

o'' and glass. Ferrocemento is a form of concrete construction made with thin cross-sections of concrete and metal wires (reinforcement) with re-usable forms, which Nervi pioneered in Italy and elsewhere.

2006 Olympics

The ''Torino Esposizioni'' was converted into a temporary ice rink to host a number of ice hockey events at the 2006 Winter Olympics along with Palasport Olimpico. The temporary

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

holds 4,320 people. The boards in the hockey rink are stiffer than in a permanent facility, while the glass has more give. The facility was converted into an ice rink by laying a sand base and refrigeration pipes into the base, and then freezing water ice atop the substrate. This is similar to the temporary outdoor rink the NHL used for its Heritage Classic game in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

. After the Olympics were complete, the arena returned to hosting fairs and exhibitions.

In film

The building appears in a deleted scene from the 1969 film ''

The Italian Job ''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 British comedy caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley, directed by Peter Collinson, and starring Michael Caine. The film's plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, rece ...

''. A portion of the car chase was filmed as a dance between the

Mini The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...

s and police cars with a full orchestra playing "

The Blue Danube "The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...

" as accompaniment. The scene appears as an extra on home video releases.

References

External links

Pier Luigi Nervi , Italian engineer and architect , Britannica

* ttps://www.domusweb.it/en/from-the-archive/2011/04/28/turin-exhibition-br--palace.html Turin Exhibition Palace {{Coord, 45, 02, 55, N, 7, 40, 56, E, region:IT_type:landmark, display=title Indoor arenas in Italy Indoor ice hockey venues in Italy Convention centers in Italy Culture in Turin Buildings and structures in Turin Sport in Turin Venues of the 2006 Winter Olympics Olympic ice hockey venues Tourist attractions in Turin 1949 establishments in Italy Event venues established in 1949 Pier Luigi Nervi buildings