Fiat Tagliero Building

The Fiat Tagliero Building is a petrol station in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, that looks like an aeroplane about to take off. It was finished in 1938 and designed by the Italian engineer Giuseppe Pettazzi in the Futurist style, a modern style that loved speed and flying machines.

In the middle stands a small tower with an office, a cashier's desk and a shop. On each side, a huge concrete wing about 15 metres long stretches out over the pumps, with no pillars underneath to hold it up. The wings shaded the cars as they drove in. Today it is one of the most famous buildings in Asmara and a symbol of the city's bold 20th-century architecture.

Why does it have no pillars?

While the station was being built, the local authorities asked for pillars to hold each wing. The original plans found in 2001 even showed the supports. Pettazzi insisted that they were not needed. A famous story says he ended the argument by threatening the contractor with a gun, and in another version he stood on a wing himself while the supports were taken away. The details differ, but in the end the supports were removed and the wings held.

How strong is it?

During the Second World War the building was partly hit by British bombing, but it survived without major damage, because the wings were so well built. The station was planned for Dr. Tagliero, who held the Fiat dealership in Asmara. Some sources describe the wings as 15 metres and others as 18 metres, depending on how they are measured. Because the wings did not fall, the building is often told as a proof that the daring design was right.

On the globe

The model shows a Futurist petrol station with two long concrete wings. Look for the central tower and the wings reaching out on both sides.