The electrical conversion substation, also known as the transformer station, is one of the landmark industrial buildings of the Old Port of Trieste. It stands next to the hydrodynamic power plant, along the perimeter of the port area near the railway viaduct on Viale Miramare.
The building consists of two distinct volumes, differentiated by the treatment of the upper section of the façade. The architectural composition is defined through variations in window shapes and frames, finishing techniques, and materials across the three horizontal façade bands, clearly marking the different floor levels.
All restoration works were carried out using materials fully consistent with the historical character of the building. The intervention followed the original technical specifications regarding materials, construction techniques, and workmanship, still preserved today in the historical archive of the Port Authority of Trieste.
A detailed understanding of the original design concept — achieved through extensive archival research on the original drawings — made it possible to accurately restore both the internal spaces and the geometric composition of the façades.
This is a fine example of industrial archaeology, featuring a mixed structural system of stone, steel, and reinforced concrete, in a style influenced by Viennese Jugendstil, as architect Zaninovich was a pupil of Otto Wagner. The conversion project involved all interior spaces, which were adapted to host the Archival Superintendency and its consultation rooms.
