Alfa Romeo is a brand that’s always stood for all-Italian style, passion and speed. Knowledge of this guided architect Benedetto Camerana in his project for Arese, site of the old Alfa Romeo factory famous for rolling out the “Snake’s” best loved models from 1963 to 2000. In 1976, part of the factory was converted into a museum, which could only be seen by booking a visit. Having been closed since 2009, the museum finally reopened on 30 June 2015 as a new facility capable of giving new impetus to the entire architectural complex thanks to the choice of a characterizing element like “Alfa red". From the monumental roof of the entrance to the evocative tunnel accessing the upper exhibition area, every architectural structure has found a new identity through this signature colour, employed on all floors of the building. The design of the lounge area in particular is potently symbolic: the bare reinforced concrete walls and pillars have been softened up with gradient satin-finish glass panelling made of Madras® Nuvola, fruit of Vitrealspecchi’s 50-year experience in chemical etching of flat glass. This choice is in perfectly in keeping with Alfa Romeo’s brand concept: elegance, speed and lightness. The walls and pillars have thus retained the solidity of their reinforced concrete volumes but the effect is now less heavy thanks to the cladding in Madras® Nuvola, whose satin finish is full at the base but rises - at "futuristic speed" - towards complete transparency at ceiling height. And that’s not all. The base is also the source of an intriguing LED lighting system that enhances the perfect gradient satin finish of each panel. It is Nuvola’s exclusive production process, in fact, that makes it superior in terms of both formal elegance and functionality to glass treated with traditional sanding. Its surface is perfectly smooth to the touch yet ensures high resistance to fingerprints and scratches and is also easy to clean, characteristics certainly not marginal in public spaces like Alfa Romeo’s new museum. Madras® Nuvola can be toughened, laminated and used in insulated glass units, so it lends itself to various applications, both interior and exterior, wherever it’s necessary to ensure maximum privacy and transparency together with pleasingly subtle visual impact.
Project and images
- Client: FCA GROUP SPA - Architectural design: Benedetto Camerana and Partners, Turin - OFFICINA 82 (FCA GROUP) - Constructional design: D’ENGINEERING Srl, Turin - Construction: D’ENGINEERING Srl, Turin - Glass: Madras® Nuvola, 8 mm, extra-clear - Glass transformation: Bivetro, Turin - Photo: Vitrealspecchi
