pedrali opens an automated warehouse by cino zucchi

pedrali has opened ‘fili d’erba’, an automated warehouse in northern italy designed by architect cino zucchi. alluding to its agricultural context, the building’s name translates as ‘blades of grass’, a motif referenced on the warehouse’s façades. extruded aluminum profiles generate a visual pattern formed by a combination of vertical and oblique lines. like gigantic blades of grass, this gesture gives rhythm, scale, and measure to the otherwise plain surfaces.

all images by filippo romano

located in the province of bergamo, cino zucchi architetti’s design for furniture brand pedrali measures 29 meters in height, covering a total area of 7,000 square meters. the complex is connected by a skytrain and eight self-steering shuttles that link to the existing industrial spaces. the facility, which is in use 24 hours a day, is capable of storing 16,880 pallets of semi-finished and complete products.

the building’s name translates as ‘blades of grass’, alluding to its agricultural context

the volume and scale of the automated building responds to both current and future production, handling, and storage flows. pallets that arrive at the warehouse are put into storage by five stacker cranes, which are capable of moving horizontally and vertically. the automated system can process 150 pallets per hour, with a maximum speed of 14 kmh (8.7 mph).

a visual pattern is formed by a combination of vertical and oblique lines

‘the dull and uniform volume of new warehouse is thus transformed into a visual phenomenon rich in variations, a kind of natural ‘amplifier’ of the time of the day and the seasons,’ explains architect cino zucchi. ‘in certain moments it dissolves into the misty sky, reflecting its grey-blue tones, and in others it becomes imbued with the bright green of the agricultural fields in spring.’

extruded aluminum profiles have been used across the façades

‘with this important investment we have both more space for stock products and also achieve a higher efficiency in the manufacturing times of job orders,’ says pedrali’s CEO, giuseppe pedrali. ‘we will be able to provide our customers with a better service and to respect the most pressing timing of contract projects. the new warehouse will furthermore open up new spaces within the production site where we are going to install new machines and consequently create new jobs.’

the elements have been conceived as gigantic blades of grass