Named after Mario Merz, the Fondazione was established in 2005 as a Centre for Contemporary Art with the intent to host exhibitions, events, education-related activities, and to further research and explore art.

The Fondazione’s site, a former heating plant for the Lancia factory, is a 1930s industrial building owned by the City of Turin and given in concession to the Fondazione Merz. It is located in Borgo San Paolo, an area now undergoing the urban and cultural revitalisation and refurbishment affecting much of Turin in recent years.

The refurbishment and restoration, supported by both private and public funds (City of Turin and the Regione Piemonte), has affected the whole building, defining the interior spaces and taking into account the cultural purposes the Fondazione intends pursuing.