Curtain wall architecture Focchi Group

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.

The 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, 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

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systems. “For this reason, we have no product catalogue. All our works are unique, created in association with the most important architects world-wide, such as Libeskind, Foster, Gregotti, Botta, Boeri and Fuksas,” Corsini says.

The group works with a select team of material and component suppliers who are able to make very high quality products and meet delivery schedules. The quality department is constantly involved in the verification processes, starting right from the factories of the sub-suppliers. Production and assembly are developed in the Rimini plant, where a new external 14,000m2 logistics area has been created and an expansion of the manufacturing space is in the pipeline.

“Working on orders for large buildings, we follow the evolution of the civil construction market, where our local partners are investors and developers of real estate projects, architects and general contractors,” adds Corsini. This explains the ongoing expansion of commercial activities: “In our long history, we have worked and delivered projects for many different geographical areas.”

He continues: “However, the evolution in operating procedures has meant that today it is not possible to optimally pursue a sales policy by project: instead it is necessary to focus on markets, choosing them by targets according to their general characteristics (opportunities, profitability, risks, barriers, etc.), and then trying to seize the opportunities lying within.” Under this new strategy, the Focchi group has focused its operations on the Italian and the British market, looking to the UK as a springboard into North America.

Future outlook

The group has a sharp vision of the future: “Our Business Plan envisages moderate, progressive growth. This target can be achieved not only by enhancing our ability in seizing and managing opportunities, but also by looking for the more relevant market segments. We want to be associated more and more with ambitious and complex projects. This is attainable only through constant endeavour in the training of our employees, especially young people.”

And there will be benefits for future generations, thanks to the sustainability policy pursued by Focchi: “The CO2 emissions from buildings during their life cycle can be significantly reduced through the adoption of sustainable technologies and awareness of architectural choices. Focchi translates research, experience and ethics into energy-efficient solutions and active proposals for new renovations aimed at energy saving. Sustainability is a matter of choice.” n