CURTAIN WALL ARCHITECTURE
For over a century, the Focchi Group has been providing innovative solutions for building envelopes, using different materials and technology for high profile projects handled by real estate investors and international architectural firms. Daniele Garavaglia reports on the reasons behind this Italian company’s remarkable success.
T
he Focchi Group’s calling card is the tallest skyscraper in the new Milan skyline: the Allianz Tower, designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, who chose, for its façade systems, the group’s unique, slightly curved structural units with triple cold bent triple glazing and ventilated glazed coatings. “We deal with the design, construction and installation of curtain walls for large buildings. They are mainly made of aluminium and glass, but today the concept has expanded to become, more generally, the exterior of a building. Many other materials, including ceramic tiles, metal sheets of various kinds, natural and reconstructed stones and terracotta are used,” explains commercial director Massimo Corsini.
Major projects Established in 1914, the family-run Focchi Group is headquartered in Rimini and has its own branch in London, employing 150 people overall with a turnover of €50 million. It is a leader in the design, 88 Industry Europe
production and installation of complete building envelopes and it has worked on some landmark projects, including: the construction of the first buildings in Italy with structural silicone technology, Ircaer in Bologna and Lingotto in Turin, followed by the Haas Haus in Vienna. It was also the first company to adopt aluminium and glass technology on large surfaces in the naval sector, with the construction of 23 large cruise ships. Other projects include: the design and construction of innovative ‘bomb-blast’ façades, used in the Marks & Spencer building in Manchester; the new headquarters of the London Stock Exchange in Paternoster Square; and the realisation of the largest suspended bolted curtain walling system in Italy, for the Pirelli Headquarters in Milan.
A tailored approach The company’s strength lies in its ability to work closely with architects on an individual basis, to create dedicated and customised
