Azimut Yachts, the Italian company specialised for decades in the design and construction of luxury yachts that set sail from Val di Susa to the seas all over the world, has instilled new energy into its historic headquarters in Avigliana (Turin), designed in the 1990s by Gabetti and Isola.
The renovation and expansion project for the headquarters, which reopened (in September) to 1,500 employees, was designed by Michele De Lucchi's AMDL CIRCLE, with the aim of translating the brand's historical memory and future vision into an architecture of calibrated and effective contrasts with the built context.
As part of a €50 million investment plan for the production site, the Milanese studio's project involved the architectural design and artistic direction of a new building and the redevelopment of part of the existing building, while the renovation of the employees' offices was designed by Settanta7.
The ex novo pavilion acts as the new entrance and the first stop on a journey to discover the brand's glamorous history and future outlook. The multifunctional building contrasts sharply with the adjacent historic building – a massive structure topped by turrets and finished with polychrome bands and blue brushstrokes on the fixtures and roofing – recalling the identity of the shipyard through its essential geometry and metal cladding. A pool of water reflecting “the first times” (models of the first boats designed by the group) accompanies visitors to discover rooms bathed in light filtering through the large glass wall at the entrance. Inside, wood and aluminium cladding evoke the warm, textured atmosphere of boats, amid iconic objects (the engine of the first boat displayed in a lightbox) and LED walls for dynamic storytelling.
In the historic building, directly connected to the new structure and completely renovated, AMDL CIRCLE's intervention involved a portion of the ground floor, where large sculptural objects (Sea Rocks) illustrate the brand's innovative materials and cutting-edge technologies, and the third floor, which houses the boardroom and main meeting rooms. A new “promenade” connects the different areas and the three previously separate towers, offering privileged views of the nearby Sacra di San Michele and the mountain landscape from the large continuous windows and panoramic terraces.
