Project Details
- Project Name
- BIG’s Proposal for S. Pellegrino Flagship Factory
- Location
- San Pellegrino Terme, Italy
- Architect
- Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
- Client/Owner
- S. Pellegrino
- Project Types
- Industrial
- Project Scope
- Renovation/Remodel
- Shared by
- Hanley Wood LLC
- Project Status
- Concept Proposal
Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
Updated on February 16, 2017
The S.Pellegrino brand identity is deeply rooted in its origin in the San Pellegrino Terme: from the majestic nature, purity of the source and historical heritage, to the century-long development of craft and Italian way of life. As such, the new S.Pellegrino Flagship Factory should not be a radical superposition of new messages or foreign elements, but rather an enhancement and elevatation of the qualities that are already abundant in and around the river valley. BIG proposes an architecture that offers a fresh take on an ancient wisdom, revisiting the classic elements of Italian architecture and urbanism: the arcade, the viale, the piazza and the portico create an architectural environment where production and consumption, nature and architecture, outside and inside, and making and enjoying are integrated to elevate the experience for visitors as well as S.Pellegrino staff.
Framed by the river valley and mountains on either sides, employees and visitors will feel immersed in nature from all directions, with abundant views to the flowing river, the forested slopes, the snowy summits and the clear skies. At the heart of the arrival, a new landmark rises in the form of an artistic interpretation of the 30-year journey that the water travels from the mountain’s snowy summit to the spring at its foot. A core sample of the mountain includes the different strata of rock and water at all its stages, turning natural processes into an artistic spectacle that reminds everyone of the wonders of water.
Mobilizing the timeless elements such as the arc – the most materially efficient and structurally elegant way to span across large spaces for production, exhibitions and events – and the arcade – the idea that you can create character and articulation through repetition and variation – the architecture of the Factory and Experience Lab has a timeless aura around it. Combining the modular architecture of the Factory with the repetitive elements of Italian Classicism and Rationalism, the space is sculpted by expanding and contracting the span of the arches. Like the aquatic equivalent of a wine cellar, the architecture of the Factory and Experience Lab feels both familiar and fresh; it is firmly rooted in heritage yet evolves into the future.
From September 21, 2016
Our proposal for S. Pellegrino’s new home in the heart of Bergamo is anauthentic extension of the rational and functional architecture of the existing factory, where the natural mineral water has been bottled since 1899.
Located in the Brembana valley between the Brembo river and at the foot of the Italian alps, our proposal embraces and enhances the existing architecture while forming an elegant framework that will allow the visitors to sense the power and purity of the surrounding Alpine nature.
The design is evolved around a well-known architectural element: the archway. The simple and clear character of the expanding and contracting arches throughout the campus, create a multitude of spaces and experiences. The visitors and S. Pellegrino employees will walk through majestic vaults, covered tunnels, arcades and green pergolas that frame the history and heritage of the brand. The seriality of the architecture will reveal parts of the surrounding mountains from the snowcapped summit to the running river at the base. At the center of the campus, a giant core sample will visualize the 30-year journey the mineral water has to travel through to acquire the minerals and achieve the purity that is unique to S. Pellegrino. The new S. Pellegrino Campus will appear disciplined yet fluid; cavernous yet transparent; unifying yet diverse; classic yet contemporary. Celebrating both tradition and evolution the architecture of the new campus reflects the values of San Pellegrino Terme as well as the core values of the Sanpellegrino Group: Purity, Transparency and Naturality.
“Shaped by the serpentine run of the Brembo river and the sloping Alpine mountainsides, our proposal for the new S. Pellegrino Campus inherits its narrative structure from the landscape of the Brembana valley. Like an aquatic equivalent of a wine cellar, the repeating archways expand and contract to create the narrative framework for the purity and clarity of the mineral water, in an environment characterized by lightness, openness and transparency. The architecture of manmade elements is embraced and enhanced by the forces of nature, tapping into the rhythmic rationality of the industrial heritage of S. Pellegrino while eliminating the traditional segregation between front and back of house, creating a seamless continuity between production and consumption, preparation and enjoyment.” -Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG.