ABSTRACT
In 1958, a Milanese architect called Angelo Bianchetti embarked on a transatlantic journey aimed at studying examples of "turnpike diners" located along major American highways. The photographic campaign realized during the trip offers an accurate account of the attention with which the visited buildings were analyzed, featuring images of road signs, kitchens, areas for food distribution, and dining rooms. The tour followed a request received from Mario Pavesi, a self-made man who had created a small business empire starting from his Novara-based confectionery industry, to realize comparable structures in Italy. Upon his return to Italy, Bianchetti designed the first bridge Autogrill, taking evident inspiration from the facilities visited in the Unites States. The spatial organization, the design and the interior details reflected the American models inspected by Bianchetti during his American tour, but the Autogrill in Fiorenzuola had a smaller footprint than its transatlantic counterpart, the probable consequence of the reduced availability of open surfaces that characterized the Italian context.
