Fantoni group

The project for this showroom derived from the need to upgrade and recover a large basement area in a small building in Palermo’s suburbs. The space which is reached through a sloping driveway appeared  to have no qualities at all, crossed as it was by a tangled mass of every kind of column, beam and pipe. The area made us think immediately that the ideal way to intervene was to underline its underground aspect, as a garage or an industrial building. The idea was to modify the structure as little as possible, cleaning and playing with the existing elements at disposal, such as the extremely interesting concrete and glass roof lights through which the external light passes. The project programme scheduled the insertion of an area devoted to operative offices (administration, technical and executive), a meeting room and a show room area for the products to be displayed.

The project was developed creating two “boxes”, one containing the other, the building box in concrete with beams and columns and a second one in glass to contain the offices. The “building” box has been treated throughout in the same way: grey concrete floor, walls, ceiling, columns and beams made in matt grey cement plaster to create a neutral space. The columns and the supporting beams of the structure became basic architectural and aesthetical elements. They were left in sight without walls, partition or curtain walls on purpose so as not to modify the environment. Additional columns and beams were made only to hide the existing piping system or cabling where strictly required. The box with the operative offices was placed at the centre of the space and immediately re-named “the aquarium” due to its total glass surface created with the Akustikwall system. The aquarium is of the same height as the glass partitions and over the suspended ceiling, made with the Topakustik sound absorption system, the air conditioning channelling has been placed. Each of the areas thus realized has several columns which do not interfere with the work tops. The aim and the concept behind this project is to show Fantoni products through their direct application: as glass partitions, office furniture, Topakustik acoustic panelling for the ceiling and for their spatial, acoustical, comfort and aesthetical specifications.

This kind of approach has enabled us to create new types of setting and offices: a transparency which cancels the weight of the usual work place closed in between walls. Light was a fundamental element to obtain the suggestive effect we desired, a warm light focused on the product for the “building” box and a white, technical light for the “office” box. The aim was to create a work place which could work as a “lantern” diffusing a white light all around so forgetting that this is in fact a basement.Added to this lighting system were the effects of natural light inside the space, filtering and spreading from the concrete and glass roof lights which had simply been cleaned,.creating highly suggestive corners. Like the roof lights the original entrance windows with their iron frames were also left basically untouched. The entrance gate was designed with a particular opening, in galvanized metal sheet with visible rivets to give the entrance the look of an underground workshop.
The astonishing effect is evident and lingers for a long time with the people working here as well as the clients and the visitors who enter this almost hidden and unexpected place from the streets of Palermo’s suburbs.

 arch. Filippo Saponaro