The new building dedicated to the production of the Maison Fendi in Bagno a Ripoli, in the province of Florence, appears as a suspended garden, which restores an ancient fracture of the territory and recomposes the hills of the site on which it stands. In the past, a quarry was active on the lot, and – requiring restoration – it suggested the opportunity to take advantage of this design chance to reflect on the signs left by the soil exploitation of the brick industry, that featured that place.

The 150,700 square feet complex was designed by the Milanese studio Piuarch, in preliminary collaboration with the landscape architect Antonio Perazzi, and later it was coordinated by the Architecture Department of Fendi. It houses management and administrative offices, a restaurant, a warehouse, laboratories, and a school of fine leather goods.

The building, featuring high landscape and energy standards, develops horizontally on one level, with a shape determined by the needs of the production process. The plan combines the different functions through fluid paths and a “backbone” that connects the various spaces, with transparent walls, creating a visual connection and promoting the circulation and socialization of people.