In the cloud: we tour Lavazza’s new Turin headquarters

The concept of a cloud has always had a strong presence in the history of art and design; from Leonardo and Mantegna right up to the binary codes of Steve Jobs, the cumulus has always symbolised enlightened thinking. The cloud’s elegant curves have also inspired the forms in the main building of a large-scale complex that Cino Zucchi Architetti has just created for Lavazza.
Located in Turin, Italy’s most industrial city, the project is entitled Nuvola Lavazza and started back in 2010; and not only does it involve the regeneration of an entire inner city neighbourhood and the restoration of a precious historic building, but it also represents the perfect balance of looks and function. Cino Zucchi’s Milanese architecture studio orchestrated the site’s cleverly designed master plan, accommodating workspace for more than 600 people, including research and development. Lavazza’s headquarters have always been located in the region and the internationally iconic Italian coffee brand has made its mark there. Now, taking things a step further, the company sank a significant overall investment of some €120 million into its new home.
Nuvola may involve privately owned workspace, but it also includes a strong public element, with spaces dedicated to culture, education and leisure, so Zucchi’s plan incorporates offices but also an array of different buildings, and even an archaeological park. Invaluable contributions by the likes of chefs Ferran Adrià and Federico Zanasi, the Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti, and the renowned museum designer Ralph Appelbaum, are part of this star-studded design.
‘The new Lavazza campus represents a new way of addressing the relationship between a private company and the city it is based in, between a building and the public space that surrounds it’, says Zucchi. ‘In stark contrast to the concept of “zoning” found in functionalist town planning, this project revisits, in a contemporary light, the layering and the coexistence of various different functions typical of ancient cities, with a high quality environmentally conscious garden, a design school, two restaurants, an events venue, a museum and new generation work spaces. The sinuous and vibrant facades of the new offices and the trilithic porticos that lean against the historic buildings become the backdrop for a new park which in turn triggers the urban regeneration of an entire neighbourhood’.
Entitled Nuvola Lavazza, the project is inspired by the soft curves of a cloud.
The large scale building will host workspace for some 600 Lavazza staff.
Inside, the smooth, rounded shapes continue, guiding visitors through the building.
While the project is a privately owned office, it also includes a strong public element.
The design includes spaces dedicated to culture, education and leisure...
...and even an archaelogical site.
Chefs Ferran Adrià and Federico Zanasi, the Oscar winning set designer Dante Ferretti, and the renowned museum designer Ralph Appelbaum, are also involved in the project.
INFORMATION
For more information visit Cino Zucchi’s website
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Herzog & de Meuron redefines Swiss hospitality with Les Trois Rois hotel transformation
The Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning studio expands the hotel with a striking restaurant and bar, a sprawling presidential suite, and a decadent rooftop spa
-
Design beyond humans: a new exhibition argues that the world doesn’t revolve around us
‘More Than Human’ at London's Design Museum (until 5 October 2025) asks what happens when design focuses on the perspectives and needs of other species, from bees to seaweed
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album cover
The compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
A guide to Renzo Piano’s magic touch for balancing scale and craft in architecture
Prolific and innovative, Renzo Piano has earned a place among the 20th century's most important architects; we delve into his life and career in this ultimate guide to his work
-
How was Carlo Ratti’s ‘Intelligens’? Wallpaper* editors discuss the 19th Venice Biennale
Having visited ‘Intelligens’, the 19th Venice Biennale's main show by curator Carlo Ratti, the Wallpaper* editors discuss what they saw at the world's biggest global architecture festival
-
Discover architect Ico Parisi’s modernist sanctuaries on the banks of Lake Como
A string of sculptural sanctuaries by architect Ico Parisi on the banks of Lake Como helped cement the area as the heartland of Italian modernism; we explore his work in an article from the Wallpaper* archives
-
Explore this new Lake Como villa and its powerful, cinematic views
A Lake Como villa by Tuckey Design Studio celebrates the history of its site and references the surrounding landscape through materiality
-
2026 Olympic and Paralympic Torches: in Carlo Ratti's minimalism ‘the flame is the protagonist’
The 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Torches for the upcoming Milano Cortina Games have been revealed, designed by architect Carlo Ratti to highlight the Olympic flame
-
Anni Albers' weaving magic offers a delightful 2-in-1 modernist showcase in Milan
A Milan Design Week showcase of Anni Albers’ weaving work, brought to life by Dedar with the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, brings visitors to modernist icon, the BBPR-designed Torre Velasca
-
Milan Design Week: ‘A Beat of Water’ highlights the power of the precious natural resource
‘A Beat of Water’ by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and Roca zooms in on water and its power – from natural element to valuable resource, touching on sustainability and consumption
-
This Milan Design Week installation invites you to tread barefoot inside a palazzo
At Palazzo Litta, Moscapartners and Byoung Cho launch a contemplative installation on the theme of migration