History

Sorgente Group | History

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The Origins

The origins of our Group date back at the end of the 19th century thanks to the activity of two families which shared the expertise for iron and steel production which were handcrafted at the beginning and manufactured at a later time.
These families set up two companies, one in Rome in 1910 and the other in New York in 1919: the Roman was specialized in the manufacture of iron while the New Yorker was specialized in the assembly of iron structures for skyscrapers.

In Italy
Between 1910 and 1943 the business focuses on iron manufacture, keeping an handcraft division dedicated to artistic productions, which among other works was responsible for the entry gates (“cancellata”) of Vittoriano in Piazza Venezia and parts of the Viminale Palace in Rome.
After the Second World War, the activity shifted towards the construction of major engineering works such as the Frascati Synchrotron, the Alfa Romeo plant in Arese and steelworks at Terni and Taranto.
In the mid ‘70s a division for the Social Housing was established. This division has realized 1,600 residential units and various shopping centers for private and public clients for a total value of 2 €/Billion.

In Usa
Between 1923 and 1928 the American Company (Binda & C.) contributed to assembly the iron structures in significant buildings in New York

YEAR

DESCRIPTION

1922

26 BROADWAY

NE Corner, Beaver Street

Project by: Carrère & Hastings, Shreve, Lamb & Blake

Known as “Standard Oil Building” and “Socony-Vacuum Building”, it is located in Financial District of Manhattan, it is 160 mt and has 31 stores, in Neo classical Style.

1923

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE (addendum)

8 Broad Street, SW Corner Wall Street

Project by: Trowbridge & Livingston

New York Stock Exchange, universally known as “Wall Street”, has expanded with another 23 storeys building, with a floor for trading, called “The Garage”. Binda & C.built load-bering structures.

1924-1925

AMERICAN STANDARD BUILDING

(originally American Radiator Building)

40 West, 40th Street

Project by: Hood & Fouilhoux

American Standard Building is the latest name for “American Radiator Building”, a 103 mt building with 23 storeys. Its name is related to the fusion between American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation.

1925-1926

NEW YORK TELEPHONE CO. BUILDING

140 West Street

Project by: Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker

Known as Verizon Building, it is131 mt and 32 storeys, in 140 West Street between Barclay and Vesey Streets, in Tribeca. It was built in 1923-1927 in Art Deco.

1927

FRED F. FRENCH BUILDING

551 Fifth Avenue, NE Corner 45th Street

Progettisti: Sloan & Robertson

Built with an art decò facade, iconic for the Fifth Avenue, it is one of the most famous projects of Frederick Fillmore French.

1928-1929

CHRYSLER BUILDING

405 Lexington Avenue, NE Corner 42nd Street

Project by: William Van Allen

One of the most iconic buildings of the City, it was built for Chrysler Headquarter. With its 319 mt, it has been the highest skyscraper of the world up to 1931, then superated by Empire State Building.

After the crisis of 1929 there was a decline in industrial manufacturing and so the American business was transformed into a real estate, and as such it operated until the end of the ‘90s.

From ‘90s
In the late ’90s, the US and Italian companies were unified under the SORGENTE GROUP brand.

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