- Year: 2004
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Photographs:Maurizio Marcato
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Manufacturers: Hunter Douglas Architectural (Europe), Hunter Douglas
Text description provided by the architects. This project from Studio Fuksas for the Ferrari Operational Headquarters and Research Center is located at the heart of Ferrari's industrial complex in Maranello, Modena, Italy. The research center and its aesthetics represent the image of Ferrari SpA and is home to the offices of Ferrari's technical direction. Like many of Studio Fuksas' projects, such as the Nardini Grappa Distillery , this building incorporates the natural environment into the architecture, crafting it into a part of the everyday experience of the employees in this complex. Electricity, water and bamboo plants are used to create a landscape within the building.
The complex is in two parts. One volume is separated from the rest of the building and hovers above the entrance area where it extends 7 meters above water below. The water covers the second, lower volume. Walkways lie at the water line, connecting meeting rooms distinguished by vibrant colors. The building itself and its reflection along the water's surface is a condition that challenges the concept of time and space within the architecture.
The reflections and glares of the water modify the perception of the architecture and the experience of the space. These moments of light are exaggerated with the design of light beams located in the cuts of the suspended volumes. The volume itself also becomes a mirror to the reflections on the water's surface and the building below, giving the image a more ephemeral quality.
