A square as a showroom

When entering a showroom, visitors seek to feel in a comfortable, welcoming environment but also want to be surprised. The new look of the most iconic and representative space of Fiandre, a leader in porcelain stoneware production, is designed precisely to satisfy visitors' curiosity and needs, with a project that fully reflects the brand’s vision: providing clients with ceramic solutions that are not only of high quality but also tailored, crafted uniquely for each client. The restyling of the new FAB Fiandre Architectural Bureau showroom, located in Castellarano (Reggio Emilia), was entrusted to Area 17 Architecture and Interior, which worked on a total area of 2,300 square meters. Federico Gigetti, senior partner architect at Area 17, explained to Domus how the project began: “The design process, which started in early 2023 and developed in two phases to ensure the operational continuity of the Fiandre showroom, consolidates the creation of a large and articulated internal square that generates new perspectives and serves as a physical guide to the company’s history, products and innovations. The contemporary showroom is conceived by Area 17 as a dynamic organism: it must be a container of experiences and emotions, capable of welcoming visitors, entertaining them and fostering relationships. It must make it easier to understand the products and suggest how to use them, and it must be flexible enough to host events and exhibitions that keep in step with the company’s fast pace of innovation”.

The large central space, which Gigetti describes as an “internal square”, acts as a catalyst for different stimuli for visitors and provides an immediate overview of the showroom. "It is within this large square that the brand's story unfolds,” continues the Area 17 architect. “The large central volumes host and interpret temporary exhibitions that follow each other throughout the seasons, interpreting collections, performances and new technologies. Tribute100 dresses the most prominent central volume, welcoming visitors at the start of the showroom journey”. For the Tribute100 collection, which reinterprets the historic and iconic Serie 100 in a sustainable way, circular portals were designed and repeated in other parts of the showroom. “The idea was to go beyond the traditional entry geometries of the central volumes and make them perceivable as galleries to be visited and walked through,” Gigetti explains to Domus.

From the central space, visitors can choose to be guided immediately by the system of galleries and the monumental portico that surrounds the square, thus beginning their journey inside FAB, or to pause first in the reception area, which hides a particularly unique feature, as Gigetti describes: “In the bar, Fiandre expresses all its eclecticism, offering visitors a different, light and informal interaction with the product. The idea is to eliminate the distance between the visitor and the apparent hardness of ceramic products, making them come alive through the simplest, everyday gestures. New materials are presented in the fridge display and summarised on the dedicated menu, product samples simulate sandwiches ready to be wrapped and taken away, the collections are told in the library setting and full-bodied products are presented as ice cream ready to be savoured”. In this way, Fiandre expresses its eclectic nature and reinterprets the relationship with the customer in a more informal and contemporary way. The ceramic surfaces on display become “edibles” that can be packaged in special boxes and taken home in a “grab & go” style. 

Wandering among the different types and shades of ceramic products, walking among the large Maximum slabs, suitable for covering large surfaces, visitors to the new FAB will be able to access an unexpected experience and discover the infinite customisation possibilities that Fiandre offers.