PARK Associati & Marca Corona: "Esercizi d'autore"
The local territory, Culture and Design are the key values that Sassuolo and CeramicLand, the area considered to be the cradle of Italian ceramics, have always strived to promote and export around the world.
To underline and consolidate the central importance of the Sassuolo ceramic district, Confindustria Ceramica (the Association of Italian ceramic tile producers) and the town council of Sassuolo have decided to organize "Esercizi d'autore" ("Designer Exercises"), an initiative dedicated to architectural planning and the alternative use of ceramic in urban redevelopment projects.
Confindustria Ceramica and the town council of Sassuolo have designated two areas of Sassuolo for new urban development and design projects, and have selected two important ceramic companies (Marca Corona and Marazzi) and two renowned architectural firms, which will be entrusted the task of redefining the architecture in said spaces.
The task involved is a simple exercise of style but will serve to prove the versatility and the multiple creative uses and applications of ceramic, also in urban areas. Marca Corona and Marazzi will host two events to present their projects to architects and Design professionals. Saturday, 16 March is the date set for “Esercizi progettuali su ceramica e design urbano" ("Planning exercises on ceramic and urban design") at Marca Corona.
"Inside the oldest ceramic factory in the ceramic district, a major architectural firm (Park Associati) has been invited to present its idea of urban design" The firm has been asked to develop planning ideas at precise points within the district, using materials from Marca Corona: "it is a totally unique experiment of urban design and of how ceramic can be used in the modern day, thanks to its new technical properties and eternal beauty".
Marca Corona has been entrusted with the task of redesigning the platform roof of the railway station of Sassuolo, in joint collaboration with PARK Associati, an architectural planning firm of Milan, which is famous for designing the Headquarters of large multinational companies such as Nestlé and Engie, and for its Hard Retrofitting of buildings.
Park is known for its approach to architecture based on listening, intuition and experimentation, which focuses on restoring the original character of buildings and achieving the finishing touch with great care and precision. These values are certainly shared by Sassuolo's oldest ceramic company, Marca Corona, which still conserves some rare relics inside its company Museum, the "Galleria Marca Corona".
The application of ceramic in Urban settings
The conference will be held on Saturday, 16 March at 3:30 p.m. at the head offices of Marca Corona, in collaboration with ProViaggiArchitettura, and will award two training credits to the participating Architects. Participation is free and open to all professionals in the sector, who must register by sending an email to marketing@marcacorona.it
An introduction to the work planned will be held by Fulvio Irace, lecturer of architecture at Milan Polytechnic, and will briefly look back at the history of Marca Corona, which has represented Italian ceramic throughout the world since 1741. This long history is made up of creativity, craftsmanship and forward-thinking design, materials of outstanding quality, technical developments and respect for the environment.
The architects Filippo Pagliani and Michele Rossi, founders of Park Associati and the architects in charge of the Marca Corona project will then present the project for the new platform roof, which proves how ceramic tiles can be used in stunning new ways.
The proposals of Park Associati and Marca Corona is a superb example of contemporary urban refurbishment, which has the capability to exploit the versatility of Made in Italy ceramic to the full.
Esercizi d’autore: the project on display at Marca Corona
Project: redesign of the platform roof at the Railway station of Sassuolo
The architects Rossi and Pagliani of Studio Park have chosen the Arkistone collection, which exalts the tactile quality of stone, to recreate railing that is both beautiful and practical. Both in the textured version in large slabs measuring 120x240 and in its three-dimensional version measuring 30x60, Arkistone adds an usual touch of elegance to this innovative part of the building.
In addition to this project and the adjacent fence, both dedicated to the Sassuolo Train Station, Studio Park and Marca Corona aimed at making a further contribution by creating a real bollar which will be kept on permanent display at its head offices. The 2mx2m prototype is composed by a jersey base where Arkistone ceramics (Silver version in customized 10x59,8cm format) are installed in a vertical and unregular way to create a sort of decorative grid. This way the street furniture turns unexpectedly into a design element, able to enhance the surroundings without compromising its technical features.
This material is already widely used for the production of road barriers in town and city centres and was chosen not only because it is easy to transport, but above all because it is extremely pliable. Marca Corona aims to show how ceramic, road barriers and almost any other material can be used for other purposes and transformed into architectural elements and beautiful objects of design, without losing their practical qualities.
The collaboration between Marca Corona and Park Associati has led to a highly innovative designer exercise with stunning results: come and see it for yourself on Saturday, 16 March at the convention entitled "Planning exercises on ceramic and urban design" at the head offices of Marca Corona. The event is aimed at architects and design professionals and two professional training credits will be awarded. For free admission, it is necessary to register by 15 March by writing to marketing@marcacorona.it
