The last spark — for the debate — was a passage from the letter that the council of the architects’ association sent to all members, in view of the meeting tomorrow at 6pm, at the Santo Volto auditorium: it “highlights that the sustainability” of the new headquarters, “once fully operational, could lead to the inevitable increase in registration fee established in 2020, equal to 230 euros, and which this council has deliberately not increased, despite the increase in the cost of living making it necessary”.
In five detailed pages, of figures and photos, the council chaired by Maria Cristina Milanese therefore takes stock of the “future headquarters” of the Order, on the eve of an assembly that will have to vote on the 2024 budget, rejected last April, when the final balance was approved by one vote.
It goes without saying, for some time now, there has been a heartfelt but civil discussion about the farewell to the old headquarters in via Giolitti 1 – scandalously imprisoned by architectural barriers – and the move to the new one in via Piave 3, for which however times have progressively lengthened.
As a former prime minister who had made that choice, he intervenes on the topic Massimo Giuntoli, head of the Labor department in the national council of architects and member of the national council for economics and work (Cnel): «As past president – he reasons – I strongly contest in some parts the document sent to members on the future headquarters of the Order and the Foundation. Above all, the possibility that the same could lead to the inevitable increase in the registration fee established in 2020″. It’s still: “It is an inappropriate and disproved statement from the technical and economic feasibility analysis present in the documents – continues Giuntoli – and signed by the management which instead considers the operation sustainable. Obviously there must be conditions, omitted in the letter but certainly applicable and irrefutable, such as the contribution of the Polytechnic of Turin, as per the framework agreement, the incidence of lower expenses for renting external offices, the economic contribution deriving from the rental of the rooms to third parties”.
Almost in the incipit of the letter, it is clearly stated what the difference in the annual rent would be of the current headquarters (82 thousand euros) and the future one (147,828 euros), according to «the preliminary rental contract». After that, they list themselves discussions, works, delays, in short, a great Italian classic, which led the property to indicate the “new delivery deadline, 31 August 2025”. However, Giuntoli underlines, that would not just be a new headquarters, but a real architects’ house, with “meeting rooms, spaces for exhibitions, a meeting point”. In a word, future.
