The Marazzi Crogiolo: past, present and future. The restoration project by Uainot.

The Crogiolo, now the oldest part of Marazzi, provides an historic link with the first industrial site dating back to the 1930s, where the first tiles were manufactured.

In the 1980s it became a brand in its own right and functioned as Marazzi's “experimental” division, hosting architects, artists and potters invited to use the location to experiment with ceramics. A real research centre, a “crucible” (the actual translation of the name “crogiolo”) of new ideas.

 The space, which totals more than 850 sq.m. on two floors, has undergone meticulous restoration by Gianluca Rossi of Uainot Architetti, which, with due deference to the historic legacy of the company and the entire district, breathes new life into this impressive location.

As Rossi explains, “The aim of the project was to emphasise the building's industrial mood and bring it back to life, while making it an integral part of the new Marazzi Sassuolo headquarters: the elegant roof trusses, the concrete floor, the lovely brick exteriors, the layout of the doors and windows – nothing has been changed; we have simply removed the signs of time. The challenge was to modernise the building by equipping it with up-to-date utility systems, which we did by creating a kind of ultra high-tech ‘box’ inside and yet separate from the original structure, with a life of its own.”

Today the Crogiolo, which is able to accommodate about 200 people, is used for a variety of corporate events for both Marazzi’s customers and its employees.

Photographs of the Crogiolo by Saverio Lombardi Vallauri can be seen in the gallery.