The Fendi factory in Tuscany disappears into the landscape
The new Fendi Factory in Italy, set in the rolling hills of Tuscany, is the brainchild of Milan architecture studio Piuarch and the luxury brand
The new Fendi factory in Bagno a Ripoli offers a new proposition for building for production and industrial facilities. Idyllically set among the green nature and rolling hills of Tuscany, the structure keeps a discreet, low profile and modest outlook in its rich countryside surroundings. Created by Milan-based architecture studio Piuarch and coordinated by Fendi's in-house specialist architecture department, the complex seeks to embody the brand's ethos and design approach.
The Fendi factory in Tuscany
Balancing Fendi's philosophy and drawing on its own experience with urban green, planted roofs and sustainable building, Piuarch composed a concept for the new Fendi factory that features a raised garden. This gesture not only helps the structure effectively blend within its natural context, helping maintain native flora and fauna on site and supporting existing eco-systems; it also visually 'completes' the terrain's lines, by 'restoring' the existing hillside where the plot is located.
The overall Fendi factory complex spans some 14,000 sq m. Piuarch and Fendi collaborated to ensure a 'high standard of landscaping and advanced energy efficiency', explains the studio in its communication material. Allowing the architecture to become an integral part of the landscape was critical to this scheme right from the start. The initial concept was carved out together with landscape architect Antonio Perazzi.
Now, the completed Fendi factory provides a 21st-century home for the brand, including management and administrative offices, a restaurant, a production warehouse, workshops and a school for haute leather goods. 'The intent [is to] fully express the exceptional quality and high standards of the luxury brand,' the team explains.
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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
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