Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence is an area of historical industrial character designed by Pierluigi Nervi in the 1930s that has the ambition to become a new cultural center, an international hub for creativity, research, inspiration and innovation. Within an intervention of a conservative nature that aims to respect the uniqueness of the place by minimizing demolition work, Piuarch has been commissioned to design 3 new buildings grouping different functions: residences, social housing residences and offices, for a total of 55,000 square meters of built area. The intervention aims to respect the uniqueness of the site, while affirming a recognizable, cutting-edge and human-scale idea of architecture. Forms, materials, architectural typological elements characteristic of the original complex - curved elements, exposed lattice structures, ribbon windows - are integrated into the new design, in a coherent philological reconstruction. A common thread linking all the newly constructed buildings is the ground floor characterized by continuous glazed bodies that constitute the main element of dialogue between modern and contemporary architecture. The outdoor facing space is designed to be pedestrian friendly, integrate alternative mobility solutions, from bicycles to car sharing to zero-emission public transportation.