HISTORY
Since its construction in the late 1930s, Torre Fara has become one of the main symbols of Chiavari and Liguria more generally. Connoted by unique rationalist architecture, it is a monument of national importance. However, the building went through several phases until its final rebirth thanks to a major restoration project by Fara S.R.L.
1935 – THE CONSTRUCTION
Erected majestically on the beach in the Preli neighborhood, Torre Fara was initially conceived and desired by the National Fascist Party to house a summer colony for children. Built between 1934 and 1936 it was inaugurated in 1938 and named after General Gustavo Fara.
1938 – THE USE
After its inauguration, Torre Fara hosted children from all parts of Italy for two years, fulfilling its original purpose. This was the heyday of the facility, which also featured an outdoor cinema and other state-of-the-art facilities. As early as 1940, however, with Italy’s entry into the war, there was a long series of changes of use for the structure: first it was a war hospital, then it was occupied by German troops, then it passed into the hands of Allied troops, until it was used as a refuge for exiles from Istria, for whom the waterfront adjacent to the Tower is now named.
1960 – THE DECADENCE
In the 1960s the building briefly became a youth hostel, named “Lighthouse.” An interlude that was followed by decades of neglect and abandonment, with some attempts to use it for public purposes, either as a sports clubhouse or as a school. Thus began from the 2000s a long process that finally led to the acquisition by Fara S.r.l., which on October 1, 2015 began the impressive renovation work.
2015 – THE RESTRUCTURING
The restyling project by arch. Enrico Pinna of Genoa, arch. Sonja Serventi and geom. Alessio Gotelli of Chiavari and carried out by the firms Edilido srl and Artedil of Chiavari, under the supervision of Shipyard Technical Director Adriano Basso, allowed for a total recovery of the building. Thanks to the attention to material selection, sustainability, and new construction and renovation techniques Torre Fara is a national example of monumental rehabilitation of a historic building.
2022 – THE REBIRTH
The renovation project allowed the building to be converted into residential in the upper part of the Tower and receptive in the lower part. Equipped with a swimming pool, covered and uncovered parking lots and a range of exclusive services, it houses 18 luxurious apartments, the Grand Hotel Torre Fara, Restaurant and Lounge & Bistro. A true rebirth that has allowed for the rediscovery of a masterpiece of recent architecture that was in danger of being lost forever and has instead been reborn thanks to the commitment and vision of those who believed in this redevelopment project.
Torre Fara is today not only a monumental symbol for Chiavari, but also an example of the rebirth and reconversion of a historic building. To live in its luxurious apartments is to embrace a new lifestyle, to stay inside the Grand Hotel is an exclusive experience, and to sip a drink in the Lounge & Bistrot while admiring the sunset over the Portofino Promontory is the right way to relax in a location with a unique and inimitable charm.
