Pedrali Facilities

“The dull and uniform volume of new warehouse is thus transformed into a visual phenomenon rich in variations, a kind of natural “amplifier” of the time of the day and the seasons. In certain moments it dissolves into the misty sky, reflecting its grey-blue tones, and in others it becomes imbued with the bright green of the agricultural fields in spring- Cino Zucchi tells- The architectural design of the warehouse and its related spaces goes beyond the concept of pure “environmental mitigation” applied to many industrial facilities. Instead, it becomes an important signal of the roots of Pedrali and the people who work there in their specific territory, as well as testifies their ability to dialogue with the increasingly globalized businesses and markets”.

“Fili d’erba”, Pedrali’s new automated warehouse, projected by CZA- Cino Zucchi Architetti, and located in the production site of the Italian furniture company in Mornico al Serio (Bergamo- Italy), has been inaugurated.

A cutting-edge building, fully automated and working 24/24, to store 16.880 pallets of finished and semi-finished products. The warehouse, 29 meters high with an overall area of 7 thousand sq. meters, is connected by a Skytrain and eight self-steering shuttles to the existing industrial spaces. The project aims to be a specific response that is strongly related to the surrounding agricultural context.

“With this important investment we have both more space for stock products and also achieve a higher efficiency in the manufacturing times of job orders” – Giuseppe Pedrali, CEO of the company says – “we will be able to provide our Customers with a better service and to respect the most pressing timing of contract projects”. The new warehouse will furthermore open up new spaces within the production site where we are going to install new machines and consequently create new jobs”.

The volume of the automated warehouse follows the study of current and future production, handling and storage flows. Pallets arrived at the warehouse transported by a Skytrain and eight self-steering shuttles and they are horizontally and vertically moved within the shelving thanks to five stacker cranes.

A perfect machine inside and an innovative project of industrial architecture outside. “We had already the chance to know and appreciate Cino and his projects so much that, when it was time to select an architecture studio to better integrate the presence of our automated warehouse in the landscape of our Pianura Padana, our choice fell upon him”.

The cladding of Pedrali new automated warehouse, designed by CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti, aims to be a specific response strongly related to the environmental context, a visual pattern facing up the different conditions of the surrounding countryside landscape.

All four sides of the new warehouse are faced by panels in natural aluminium colour. On these, a series of simple elements made with extruded aluminium profiles generates a visual pattern formed by a combination of vertical and oblique lines, like gigantic “blades of grass” that give rhythm, scale and measure to the blind and unarticulated surface of the facades.

“The dull and uniform volume of new warehouse is thus transformed into a visual phenomenon rich in variations, a kind of natural “amplifier” of the time of the day and the seasons. In certain moments it dissolves into the misty sky, reflecting its grey-blue tones, and in others it becomes imbued with the bright green of the agricultural fields in spring- Cino Zucchi tells- The architectural design of the warehouse and its related spaces goes beyond the concept of pure “environmental mitigation” applied to many industrial facilities. Instead, it becomes an important signal of the roots of Pedrali and the people who work there in their specific territory, as well as testifies their ability to dialogue with the increasingly globalized businesses and markets”.