Spanish retail giant Zara has moved into Palazzo Bocconi, the recently restored building on Via del Corso once occupied by La Rinascente. Open to the public from 10 December, the five-floor flagship store becomes Zara's third outlet in Rome after its other nearby locations in Largo Goldoni and Galleria Alberto Sordi. It marks 5,000 openings by owners Inditex, with the brand represented in 77 countries worldwide.

Over the last year the building has undergone a radical overhaul to return its original architectural features as well as transforming it into an eco-friendly department store. Awarded in the past for its environmentally-aware shop in Athens, Zara hopes to attain platinum certification from US agency Leed, the world's highest award for sustainable architecture.

Designed by Giulio De Angelis in 1887, the large amount of glass and steel incorporated in the building's construction were seen as being ahead of their time. Duccio Grassi, the architect who has overseen the renovation and updating of the building has fused his modern designs with elements of the past, exploiting the building's vast amount of natural light, while LED lights and eco-friendly electricity and water systems have been installed.