lissoni architettura expands fantini headquarters on the banks of lake orta

in pella, a town on the banks of northern italy’s lake orta, piero lissoni and his firm lissoni architettura have integrated a complex of industrial buildings, captured by simone bossi, into the natural landscape. serving as the headquarters of fantini, a company that specializes in the design of faucets and accessories for kitchens and bathrooms, the campus has been expanded to accommodate the organization’s future needs.

all images by simone bossi

lissoni architettura’s brief for the project was to re-organize fantini’s production processes and logistics to incorporate manufacturing systems together with the company’s research and development department — the latter of which was brought inside the company to safeguard sensitive technical and design knowledge.

from the company entrance to the reception, a long covered walkway dialogues with the water, flanking the river and proceeding towards the lake. here, a jetty is available for guests and clients to reach the nearby hotel by boat. the relationship between the buildings and the lake formed the basis of the architectural project, with the offices and showroom re-positioned to take advantage of the available views.

choices regarding the architecture and materials were made to ensure an overall visual harmony among the various buildings on-site. the industrial character of the architecture is clearly visible in the choice of materials: raw reinforced concrete and slabs of concrete for the walkway. meanwhile, the pergola that covers the path dividing the two factory blocks has the function of integrating natural elements within the industrial architecture.

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project info:

name: fantini headquarters
location: pella, lago d’orta, italy
architecture, interior design, and outdoor areas: lissoni architettura
design team: piero lissoni with samuel lorenzi, ricardo hernandez
model: isa diaz
3D render: alberto massi mauri, alessandro massi mauri, matteo sponza
photography: simone bossi

consultants:
local architects: vittorio drappo, camilla sapio
landscape: paghera green service
graphics: graph.x
lighting: flos
audiovisual: domoworks
structural engineer: studio arteco
mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP) engineer: studio arteco