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MASSIMO MARIANI
architect
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How did the project get off the ground?
The genesis of the project was rather long and complicated. Following a series of unexpected hurdles and problems, I’m afraid we have only been able, at least thus far, to construct this one building, the first of what was originally a much more long-term and far-reaching programme. The then company Chairman was not only a great boss, but he was also mad about modern art. It was his goal, after acquiring the site, to create a new Silicon Valley, complete with a master plan to set out the aesthetic and functional guidelines for other companies that would be attracted here. This never happened, or at least it only happened in part, since another major computer sales company moved into the area and occupied most of the existing buildings. Then came the economic meltdown, and all we can say today is that we’re having to play it by ear, without the sort of structured programme we once had. Recently the company has commissioned another project from us, so a new building will soon be going up in the area, with similar features to this one, to house a crèche, a canteen, a gym and other things.

How much did the goal of maximum sustainability count for?
The goal was to construct a “soft” building, high-tech but not aggressively so, which does house technology, but doesn’t make a show of it; a building that also has a sense of humour. In addition to economic sustainability, the client requested environmental sustainability.

How did you manage to reconcile the aesthetic and environmental aspects of the design, and what role did the location of the Cable building play?
During the planning phase the only route open to us, by virtue of the regulations, was to create a building following a horizontal line and anyway, I rather liked this idea. I had a lovely image in my mind: as you travel down the road past the building, you get the feeling that, for a time, you are being accompanied by a train, speeding through the heart of the Tuscan countryside.

And the functionality of the place? For example, the concept of the interior space, its flexibility?
The place was so gorgeous that I wanted to make the people inside the building able to see it, out of the windows. To put it more clearly. It’s such a beautiful, wide-open place, so green, so un-built-up, that you perceive it physically very well from outside, but, from inside, you see it through the windows, which are natural picture frames, and also sometimes from the terrace. I’m not really a lover of transparent buildings: “inside is inside” it is artificial, another place altogether that must keep some surprises up its sleeve. So – the windows: they are all identical and evenly spaced as they progress along the façade. They represent the only motif that, as you change staircase, defines the architectural element.  Where the motif breaks up, it defines the entrances. Recomposed, it becomes part of the interior decor.

On the subject of environmental sustainability, where and in what ways do you consider this goal has been most satisfactorily achieved?
For example, the fact that we have produced such a clean shell, showing no trace of the building’s functional mechanics because these are all incorporated; and then, the solar power makes it almost energy self-sufficient. But perhaps the greatest and most satisfying achievement is that the people working inside the building are so happy with it that they want to show their families around, definitely not a minor detail.

How important was the choice of materials?
The use of prefabricated units for the façade and structural elements meant that we could come up with an imaginative design at reasonable cost, and maybe, one day, if the building is no longer needed, we will be able to think about dismantling it and recycling materials like the aluminium used for the roof and for the end sections.

There’s a strong presence of colour, a particular way of diffusing this. What is your philosophy of colour?
Colour is design for the soul: it’s good for you when it’s around!  In the past we often used it in brush strokes. Today’s new materials allow us to use it more fluidly. However, this is a black and white design in which the light, interacting with coloured glass, as it does in cathedrals, becomes something rather special.

How did your partnership with Cabel come about?
Our partnership with Cabel, that has now lasted nearly 15 years and involved other projects, has developed over time; these days, designers still get a lot of respect. The image that Cabel Industry want to project is: sleek, modern, creative. This means that their architecture must be something special too.