A new jewellery manufacturing facility for Bulgari

With a floor space of 15,000 m² and the expected creation of more than 300 new jobs by 2020, this new establishment not only satisfies the demands of constant growth on the international market but also facilitates expansion of production by the Roman company, which places the deepest values of Made in Italy at the heart of its research.

As a virtuous example of the creation of luxury articles, production by the Italian company is entirely in the hands of Italian workers and craftsmen, with the exception of the watchmaking activity. With the production of luxury jewellery in Rome, accessories in Florence, fragrances in Lodi, silk in Como and watch mechanisms and assembly work in Switzerland, the new Valenza site fits in to this extraordinary Italian production network which, backed by the expertise and qualities of its craftsmen, has given birth over the centuries to objects of exceptional aesthetic value and outstanding quality.

Thanks to this project, Bulgari is banking on the value of its historical roots and expertise handed down across the centuries. The goldsmith’s art in Italy is one of the foremost domains of excellence of Made in Italy. As a perfect fusion of past and present, it is a synthesis of love of beauty and craft expertise which has enabled Italy to dominate global production of jewellery and goldsmith’s articles.

Designed as a metaphor of the very soul of the house, between the appreciation of its roots and projection into the future, the new Bulgari manufacturing facility comprises two buildings with different architectural features, a symbolic bridge between tradition and innovation.

The manufacturing unit in which the main jewellery collections of the house are to be produced, including the famous B.zero1, Serpenti, Diva, Bulgari Bulgari and Parentesi creations, embodies the union of the two great Italian showpieces: quality of design conceived entirely in Rome and technical and productive capabilities of the goldsmiths in Valenza, so building an alliance between the manual expertise of the latter and the creativity of Roman designers.

The manufacturing facility opened its doors in January 2017, with around 400 employees. By 2020, the firm aims to reach a total of 700 employees, most of whom will be assigned to the key craft trades of goldsmith’s work. 51% of the personnel today are women.

The manufacturing plant
Designed by the Open Project architectural and engineering practice, the Bulgari manufacturing plant consists of two buildings whose architectural characteristics have been deliberately differentiated to create an ideal bridge between innovation and tradition.

The soul associated with the cradle of traditional Italian goldsmith’s work is reflected in the valorisation of an existing building which enjoys great historical and symbolic importance, the Cascina dell’Orefice, built in 1860 and regarded as the very first goldsmith’s workshop in Valenza. The historical building has been reconstructed and enlarged to incorporate a fully glazed structure which repeats in a contemporary style the original form of the Cascina. Known as the Glass House, this structure covers a total floor space of 1,200 m² and is thirteen metres high. Featuring institutional and reception spaces, it also exemplifies the strong historical identity of the premises and the firm’s unique vision.

This space in fact constitutes the representational and reception area of the brand in the new manufacturing plant and symbolises the continuity of the goldsmith’s tradition in Valenza. The steel and glass structure takes the form of a technological derivation from the legendary Cascina dell’Orefice while the interior is full of architectural and interior decoration features which are deeply rooted in Bulgari’s unique style. There are in fact numerous references to the firm’s boutiques, both in the colours and in the materials. The floor of the entrance hall and staircase leading to the lower ground floor levels is made of Palissandro Classico marble and the compass positioned at the entrance is covered with a metal skin characterised by a Panthéon mesh which accompanies the visitor up to the entrance to the conference room where a bright wooden floor in walnut of national origin has been installed.

The second building houses the manufacturing plant. By an alliance of aesthetics and efficiency, the structure rises to the architectural challenge of combining high tech production capacity with a design that reflects the brand’s stylistic values.

The establishment is built on three levels articulated around an internal courtyard with an area of around 600 m², which ensures that the structure benefits from a very high level of natural lighting.

The interior patio is inspired by the typical courtyard of a Roman domus or home. In classical antiquity, the atrium served to bring light and ventilation to the principal spaces of the home, so encouraging the occupants to live in the open air by becoming an area destined to welcome guests and permit socialisation.

In that same spirit, the great internal courtyard of the manufacturing plant has been designed at one and the same time to create a convivial space for the employees during their working day and to obtain a further source of light and natural ventilation thanks to the big glazed areas.

The establishment is covered entirely with a metal skin which represents an alliance of aesthetic quality and functionality and is situated at a distance of about six metres. This system allows natural light to pass fully with no visual barriers against the surrounding nature, while at the same time providing an adequate level of confidentiality and security; to say nothing of the aesthetic harmony of the whole building.

The special feature of this innovative architectural element resides in its surface finish obtained by a process of electrolytic colouring by optical interference, enabling the perception of its colour to vary as a function of the daylight.

The different textures of the panels, equipped with openings whose dimensions and layout vary, and the special treatment of the material, result in a variation in the colour of the surface; this becomes more opaque and undulates depending on the time of day and the point from which it is observed. From the outside, on the other hand, the perception of the aesthetic effect does not depend on the solidity of the surface but on the variations of light and on the chosen observation point.

The view from the inside is stunning. The metal skin in fact gives the impression of becoming a lightweight curtain, so immersing the craftsmen in a working environment in contact with surrounding nature. From the outside, the dark colour of the structure creates an effect of elegance and clean styling, contrasting harmoniously with the intense green of the hills seen in the background.

Finally, the Bulgari logo in copper-coloured bronze rounds off the main façade. And the result is at one and the same time surprising, clean and linear. The logo is not just a simple signature for the Roman firm. Inspired by Roman epigraphs, it was already used back in the 1970s, in a revolutionary and avant-garde style as a design element in its own right, reflecting the perfect union of tradition and innovation which has typified the soul of Bulgari from its early days.

Bulgari Jewellery Academy
To preserve the traditional craft trades and create a pathway for professionalization of new generations of artisans, the firm has decided to open, on the premises of the manufacturing plant, the Bulgari Jewellery Academy, as a school of expertise in goldsmith’s work destined for the training of all new employees. This academy opened its doors last March when the 21 first young goldsmiths arrived. It will be equipped to provide training for 42 persons simultaneously.

The ambitious project of this training centre is a perfect reflection of the philosophy adopted by the brand and by the entire LVMH Group, namely to preserve the craft heritage of an enterprise while at the same time giving it a new dynamic by training young generations of artisans and at the same time supporting the territory in which this DNA of expertise first saw the light of day.

Even after centuries have passed, this sector of elegance remains intact and today Italy is still the world’s biggest producer and exporter of jewellery.

The vitality of the goldsmith’s art in Italy, one of the most prestigious traditional sectors of Made in Italy, has been preserved, notably thanks to the commitment of the house of Bulgari, which has always been fully confident in the value of Italian craft trades.

Thanks to its constant investment in research and innovation, the brand has gained a strong position from the time of its creation on the international market, so enhancing the image of Italian products in this new era of a globalised society and the creative qualities of the Italian jewellery art all over the world.

April 27, 2017