Milan-based architecture studio Peter Pichler Architecture has created fifth façade with pleated geometry for the new Bonfiglioli Headquarters in Calderara di Reno, Bologna, Italy.

Named Bonfiglioli Headquarters, the 6,200-square-metre building features a distinctive angular volumetry to provide a comfortable indoor environment and energy saving. 

Dressed with a second skin, the south-facing facades and roof of the headquarters are wrapped in a second skin made from a custom continuous pleated aluminum mesh that help filter intense light.

Envisioned as an efficient and functional office building, Peter Pichler Architecture designed this project for Italian manufacturer and supplier company Bonfiglioli, founded in 1956. 

According to the studio, the building should have expressed "the professionalism, innovation, and proud history of the Italian company." The building was added to the Bonfiglioli Group’s largest industrial site in Italy as the latest project to its larger development called EVO. 

"EVO is designed to satisfy the most recent energy efficiency standards, offering outstanding performance in terms of environmental impact, powered by a 3 MW peak power photovoltaic plant, mounted not only on the existing new plant roofs but also on the awnings of the staff car park," said Peter Pichler Architecture. 

"The new HQ is conceived as NZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) and features geothermal heat pumps and radiant ceilings to further save energy and obtain additional internal comfort." 

"It stands out as a recognizable landmark that both rises above and integrates itself with the surroundings—a radical approach towards sustainability with intelligent geometry," the firm added.

The firm's initial idea was to incorporate the courtyard typology of the existing masterplan buildings into the massing. While this courtyard houses a green garden on the ground floor, it also enhances natural ventilation through a chimney effect. 

Considering local sunlight conditions, the building’s roof has been tilted to enlarge the north facade and maximize workspace with indirect natural light. 

The studio has claded the south-facing facades and roof of the headquarters with a second skin - made from a custom continuous pleated aluminum mesh. This skin filters intense light and ensures a comfortable indoor environment while saving energy. 

The studio pays great attention to the outer shell and shape of the building. 

The sinuous geometry is inspired by the company's gears, while the aluminum mesh is reminiscent of the shavings produced daily as a byproduct of the company's supply chain.

Inside the spaces are column-free thanks to its exoskeleton façade and are designed with future flexibility in mind. 

"The building is a testament to modern workplace design, fostering connectivity and collaboration," said the studio. 

"The layout is thoughtfully orchestrated, with departments distributed across various levels, for optimal public interaction and synergy with surrounding buildings." 

The firm has added two sculptural spiral staircases made from steel, and they are more than a physical connectors between floors, but become "a symbolic vortex of creativity exchange, inviting a continuous flow of ideas." 

On the third floor, there is a bridge through the internal courtyard to connect the department to facilitate the workflow and communication.

"The building places a special emphasis on health and well-being, incorporating green spaces and maximizing indirect natural light to enhance the work environment. Its unique sloped roof design culminates in six terraces, all oriented towards the south," the firm explained. 

"These terraces provide serene outdoor spaces for reflection and pause, offering views of the iconic Santuario Madonna di San Luca. This connection to the outdoors, together with the views, enriches the daily experience of those who work there."

As the studio emphasized, "Bonfiglioli’s new headquarters is not just a place of work but a testament to the potential of sustainable design in the industrial sector." 

The building "stands as a model for low-carbon, energy-autonomous buildings and embodies the principles of the circular economy, ready to adapt to the evolving needs of the company and its people."

Site plan

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Second floor plan

Sixth floor plan

Longitudinal section

Cross section

North-east elevation

North-west elevation

Peter Pichler Architecture built ribbon-like villa that mimics natural landscape in South Tyrol. The studio completed a hotel that is dressed up with a black exoskeleton in Maranza, South Tyrol, Italy. 

Peter Pichler Architecture was founded by Peter Pichler and his wife Silvana Ordinas in 2015. The studio is an award-winning laboratory for architecture based in Milan. 

Project facts

Project name: Bonfiglioli Headquarters

Architects: Peter Pichler Architecture

Location: Calderara di Reno, Bologna, Italy

Client: Bonfiglioli

Size: 6,200m2

Completion date: 2024

PPA Principals: Peter Pichler, Silvana Ordinas

PPA Team: Peter Pichler, Niklas Knap, Simona Alù, Ugo Licciardi, Cem Ozbasaran, Filippo Ogliani, Giovanni Paterlini, Domenico Calabrese, Nathalia Rotelli, Angela Ferrari, Alessandro Cardellini, Simone Valbusa.

Structure & MEP: ARUP

Electrical engineering: ARUP

Façade planning: Pichler Projects

Fire consultant: ICS Ingegneria

Acoustics: Solarraum

Site supervision: Studio Taddia

General Contractor: Ing Ferrari, Pichler Projects Project management Bonfiglioli: Federico Mazzanti, Chiara Persi, Vincenzo Lamanna

All images © Gustav Willeit. 

All drawings © Peter Pichler Architecture. 

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