Known as Palazzo “Ex-La Rinascente,” the building occupies the block between Via Cavour, Via Calvi and Piazza Garibaldi in the historic center of Padua in a pedestrian area with important historical and architectural value. The area still constitutes a strategic point of the urban and suburban road system for both the city and the surrounding area. Of the pre-existing 18th-century palace, Palazzo Zaborra, demolished in 1888 to make way for the commercial building, all that remains today is memory on the Istrian stone slabs inserted into the porphyry and trachyte pavement. Throughout the 20th century, the building was occupied by the well-known Milanese company “La Rinascente,” which in 1926 decided to open its Padua branch in this very building because of its proximity to Porta Altinate and Via Altinate, from which trade to the East departed. Several partial mergers followed in the following decades until the major “renovation with partial demolition” in 1957 to create the modern UPIM clothing store. The building remained unchanged until 1999 when the facade was restyled with the name “La Rinascente” on the building, which remained unchanged until the business closed in February 2019.
Following the closure, renovation began on the five floors which included a major division of the building as well as structural and mechanical systems upgrades. The renovation created seven commercial units side by side on the ground and first floors, all independent from each other. These spaces would accommodate well-known international brands such as Philip Morris, Fielmann, Snipes, and Juice, as well as major national brands such as Mondadori, Giochi Preziosi, and Iliad. The second and third floors are still being renovated to create a single large space accessible by stairs and elevators from an independent entrance on Via Calvi. Particular care was required in coordinating the specialized designs (structures and systems) and executive construction management to optimize the usable spaces as requested by the tenants.