The new De' Longhi Group Headquarters in Treviso is located on the site of a devastating fire that destroyed the De' Longhi production plant in 2007, leaving only a completely asphalted and degraded layer. In 2015, the De' Longhi Group decided to use this area for its new headquarters and entrusted the project to the Signorotto+Partners studio.
The project, which fills the urban void left by the 2007 fire, includes office areas, relaxation areas, an auditorium, a foyer, equipped terraces, new meeting rooms and executive offices, along with the company restaurant.
The architecture respects the pre-existing structure and styles, renewing them whilst introducing elements characterised using glass and metal frames with a textured white coating that highlights the key points of the complex.
The new expansion encloses the pre-existing building, forming an internal courtyard used as a garden, with organically shaped paths. The industrial architecture that characterises the work environments has more rigid geometries that blends with the natural spaces, characterised by free forms and small green dunes that frame the building and the internal courtyard.
The initial concept was to create a kind of campus that connected the various activities carried out within De' Longhi, to rethink the quality of the work environment, where people can reconnect with the outside.
Sustainability has guided some design choices, such as those of materials.
Concrete, chosen for its durability and resistance, forms the foundations and main structural components of the building. Aluminium, known for its recyclability and lightness, is used for the structural elements of the facades, providing both resistance and aesthetic appeal. While, large glass panels are incorporated into the design to maximise natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting and improving energy efficiency.
The building includes two relevant architectural elements: the entrance hall with the overlying foyer/auditorium and the stair tower to the north, built with tensile structures that create a suspended portion, highlighting the capabilities of structural glass. A characteristic of the system adopted is a tensile structure composed of steel cables, defined as "Spider Glass" pre-tensioned and intertwined, with a maximum height of 17 metres. In particular, the atrium of the building is characterised by both facades in glass tensile structure, each placed inside a reinforced concrete frame covered with a white metallic coating with a special texture. This allows communication between the inside and the outside, making the internal courtyard visible. The tensile structures during the night are also highlighted by the coloured light of Underscore 15 RGB and Linealuce mini with wall grazing optics.
The crossing of the atrium is facilitated by suspended reinforced concrete walkways that are inspired by the steps of Venetian bridges, with softened ascent and descent that break up the space inside the atrium. The length of the walkways is underlined by lines of Underscore 15 light that contribute to creating movement throughout the height of the atrium. The same devices are also used for the stairs in the north tower. The Underscores create "graphic lighting" effects in various areas of the building.
The Laser Blade recessed lights in both XS and L versions are widely used: the Laser Blade L in the foyer and the Laser Blade XS inside the wooden slat false ceiling that characterises various areas of the headquarters.
The stair tower has the same characteristics as the facade of the entrance atrium, but internally it houses a suspended staircase with a glass parapet, which connects all the office floors and the equipped terrace for the foyer and the auditorium on the roof. In the offices, characterised by the dominance of the colour white, iPlan Access recessed lights were used.
The artificial lighting of the auditorium is entrusted to square lasers with Wide Flood optics. The colour temperature chosen for the entire project is 4000K. Outside, the paths for vehicular traffic and parking areas are illuminated by Street pole mounted fixtures.
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