Piuarch's Fendi Factory Opens in Tuscany with Green Roof

Fendi's new factory in Bagno a Ripoli, near Florence, was inaugurated in late 2022. The project, a nearly €50 million investment by LVMH (the largest manufacturing investment in Italy to date), was designed by Milanese studio Piuarch in collaboration with Fendi's architectural department and landscape architect Antonio Perazzi. The 14,000 sqm single-story building is entirely covered by a walkable green roof that camouflages it within the landscape, which had been previously scarred by a brick industry and quarry. The roof is punctuated by variously shaped patios that bring natural light into the interior spaces, which include administrative offices, a restaurant, laboratories, a production warehouse, and a high-end leather goods school. Local materials create a homogeneous color palette. The project aims to employ up to 700 people within three years. Piuarch partner Gino Garbellini stated that the idea was to reconstruct a natural landscape through an architecture that disappears into it. The factory follows Piuarch's earlier Prada factory in Arezzo, adding another landmark for luxury fashion in Tuscany.