around the world in a coffee Factory
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around the world in a coffee Factory

1895 Coffee Designers by Lavazza

UP-A Uboldi Paolo Architetti srl | RAA - Ralph Appelbaum Associates

around the world in a coffee Factory
By Editorial Staff -

Up–a (Uboldi Paolo Architetti)’s complete renovation of a building at the Lavazza Group’s landmark Settimo Torinese plant has created an innovative factory for 1895 Coffee Designers, the Lavazza brand that combines independent and sustainable cultivation with the most advanced processing technology. Accessible to the public, the experiential factory tells the story of every step of the coffee production cycle, from plantation to demi-tasse.
The production space is the beating heart of the building’s 3,000 sq. m planimetric distribution, with all other functional areas distributed around it. The space houses the plant’s machinery, unique pieces finished to evoke a homogeneous environment. Visitors’ immersive journey begins the moment they enter the facility, in educational rooms where they learn about the latest research into the places where the world’s finest coffees grow. The final room in this suite offers views onto optical and laser green coffee selection processes, visible through a glass wall.

After this informative introduction, visitors enter the production plant proper, where the machines run 24 hours a day. Everything may be viewed in complete safety from above, taking a metal walkway affixed to the building’s existing columns. Designed to be completely dismantled for maintenance if required, the elevated walkway is lined with bamboo, a material chosen for its mechanical strength and sustainability, as well as being a plant autochthonous to coffee-growing areas.

External lighting makes the walkway look like a luminous ribbon as it winds its way through the entire production cycle, from the roasting area to the silos and transport system, before reaching the blending area. Returning downstairs, visitors file through the quality control lab, where large mirrors facilitate viewing, and then on to the cafeteria, designed by RAA - Ralph Appelbaum Associates: a dedicated, soft-lit tasting space separated from the factory by a large fireproof window. As well as offering chairs and tables, the cafeteria features twin circular bar counters and high stools for coffee tasting; here, images are projected onto domes suspended from the ceiling.

When it comes to materials, the warmth of wood offsets the cold tones typical of industrial environments. Chromatically, the characteristic blue and gold of the 1895 Coffee Designers by Lavazza brand logo is present throughout.
Research, production, craftsmanship, industry, education and entertainment all come together in this design, last year earning Paolo Uboldi a European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies’ Europe 40 Under 40® award.

Location: Settimo Torinese, Turin, Italy
Client: Lavazza Completion: 2020
Gross Floor Area: 4,127 m2
Architect: up–a (Uboldi Paolo Architetti)
Interior Fit Out: RAA - Ralph Appelbaum Associates, up–a
Main Contractors: C.M. Service, Bodino

Consultants
Structural:
IPE Progetti
Cost Estimator: Starching
Mechanical: Aertermica
Electrical: Tekser, Studio Tecnico Rosselli
Fire Protection: Gruppo Ingegneria Torino

Photography by Andrea Guermani courtesy of up–a

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