Gianni Arnaudo chooses Casalgrande Padana

“The interesting thing about a company like Casalgrande Padana is their focus on research and the sensitivity with which they understand the needs of the design. If I ask for a specific colour or a special tile, they sort it for me straight away. It's wonderful to see that level of reactivity from a big company in accommodating the ideas of an architect.” Gianni Arnaudo

There is a thin red line running through the creative and design journey of Gianni Arnaudo, linking the Dejeuner sur l’arbre table (the only Gufram product acquired by a museum since 1976) with the Fizz tables, produced by Slide, the design of the Mainapanettone factory, which Arnaudo describes as “a large, festive red ribbon that through a zoom lens embraces the production site of a legendary Italian cake”, and the Dromont and Maligno Arredamenti industrial complexes.

Maina factory

In order to respond to growing market demand, the famous confectionery company invested over €6 million to expand its production complex in Fossano, in the province of Cuneo. In addition to the production area, the project also included the redevelopment of the executive spaces, offices and shop, which were fitted with porcelain stoneware flooring from the Metallica collection in the Inox colour. Meanwhile, tiles from the Amazzonia collection in Dragon Grey were used for the external flooring.

Arnaudo drew on his extensive background in industrial architecture, his expert use of scale and his ironic, pop approach to deliver a project which encapsulated the identity of the company. At the heart of this idea was to wrap the entirety of the old complex in a big, red ribbon - like those used for the packaging of panettones.

Maligno Industria Arredamenti

With an industrial history stretched back over 60 years, the old artisanal workshop has now been replaced by all the trappings of cutting-edge industry. Tradition and expertise have been combined with the most sophisticated contemporary production systems, while an open approach has been adopted towards the ideas, stimuli, knowledge and cultural inspiration at play in the world of interior architecture and design. It’s an approach that has won Maligno contracts all over the world, allowing the company to design spaces for some of the biggest brands on the planet.

The company’s new production facility and headquarters reflect the journey Maligno has been on and indeed its attempts to combine traditions with the future and history with innovation. The plans of the site show that the complex is shaped like a planer, a utensil traditionally used by artisanal furniture makers. Here, it is a metaphorical celebration of ancient knowledge and production quality.

Thanks to the impressive attributes of Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware products in terms of durability, inalterability, impermeability and resistance to bending and wear and tear, Arnaudo chose tiles from the Metallica collection, opting for the diverse shades of Inox, for the internal flooring in reception, the transit and distribution areas, the functional and waiting areas and the stairs.

Metallica Inox

Dromont industrial facility

Based in the province of Cuneo, Dromont is an industrial company that produces high-precision mechanical and electronic machinery used in the packaging of paint and colourings destined both for big assembly lines at multinational companies and for automatic mixers used in paint shops.

For the internal flooring and coverings, Arnaudo opted for porcelain stoneware tiles from the Marte collection. The project to expand the complex included the installation of an extension on the main façade of the building, while the existing structure was enhanced with the addition of a metallic coating designed to symbolise a piece of sheet metal. The new and old parts of the complex were joined by a glass arrow - a structural suspension bridge that allows workers and utilities to travel between the two, ending with a window looking out over the landscape.

The project won the Dedalo Minosse International Prize for Architecture.