Area

Area is an international magazine of architecture and design culture. It is published by New Business Media in bilingual, Italian and English versions.
Each of the six annual issues deals with a theme of architectural interest that acts as a fil-rouge in the selection of international and Italian works that are presented and explored right down to the design detail. The theme is chosen from time to time, capturing the suggestions and world trends covering topics ranging from architectural typology to monographic issues dedicated to cities or architects. 
In April the special issue “+” is published, dedicated to design and distributed on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile in Milan.
If the monographic theme changes in each issue, the Design Focus section is present on all issues and offers the analysis and review of materials, finishes and furnishing accessories.
Area expresses the value of the project to all the stairs, matter as an expression of know-how and as a resource that nature puts at the service of man’s creativity. Area investigates and deepens the themes of design and architectural artefacts that become full expression of it.

ABA Arredamenti

The logo of ABA Arredamenti contains a compass, an ancient precision instrument that is simple yet complex, because it must be guided by a skilled hand.
Every single line drawn for a new ABA project represents ideas, vision, research and the ability to give shape to dreams. “If it can be imagined it can be created” has been the Giaccherini family’s slogan since 1954. Our years of experience, professionalism, and in-depth knowledge of each material, together with five internal production departments, allow us to develop the intuitions and ideas of designers and architects into perfectly expressed projects. 
ABA has positioned itself as one of the major Italian furniture suppliers for the hotel and restaurant industry. Its products are always made to order and perfectly tailored to fit the needs of its customers. 
The environments that bear the ABA seal stand out for their unique, striking designs, their feeling of elegance, warmth and hospitality, and the quality of their materials. 

BTicino

BTicino is a global specialist in the electrical and digital infrastructure of buildings. The leading company of the Legrand Group in Italy, BTicino is present throughout the country with 10 manufacturing sites, 9 R&D centers and about 2,700 collaborators, operating on the Italian market mainly with the brands BTicino, Legrand and IME. BTicino is the global specialist for the electrical and digital infrastructure of buildings.
Its complete range of solutions for the international markets for the residential, tertiary and industrial sectors make it a point of reference worldwide.
Pursuing a developmental process that involves all of its collaborators and interlocutors, BTicino, like all of the Legrand Group, adheres to a profitable and lasting growth strategy based on innovation through the launch of new technological solutions, including network-connected products with high added value. Targeted acquisitions over the years have contributed to the pursuit of this strategy. In 2020, BTicino achieved a turnover of 750 million euros, of which 63% in the domestic market and 37% in exports.

Capoferri

Founded in Adrara San Martino in 1894 as an artisan carpentry shop, over the last century Capoferri has grown in size, technical resources, and skills to become the global player it is today. Architectural doors and windows still represent the company’s core business, and it has distinguished itself for its ability to carry out projects without limits of scale or type, while maintaining its commitment to the pursuit of beauty and technical innovation. With the family now at its fifth generation of leadership, the company is currently led by Sergio Capoferri and his sons, Francesco, Paolo, and Luca. Together they continue to nurture the tradition of maintaining the company at the forefront by adopting the technological and managerial resources of large industry while maintaining the manufacturing quality of the artisan workshop. Serving nearly every continent, Capoferri is as eclectic and practical it its technical aspects as it is dynamic in its ability to collaborate with the greatest architects on the international scene. 

Ceccotti Collezioni

A unique company recognized all over the world in the field of interior design for the ability to create ‘products of the author’, unique in their originality and constructive complexity, design without ostentation of industrial geometries but also without aesthetic frivolity, with the scope of reconnecting objects to a tradition and to a history. Ceccotti Collezioni has shown the character and quality of a company that has never deviated from its vocation to luxury craftsmanship, as a result it has been able to translate it into new products with a contemporary interpretation.

Duravit AG

Founded in 1817 in Hornberg, in the Black Forest in Germany, Duravit AG is now one of the leading international manufacturers of high-end bathroom fixtures. The company currently serves over 130 countries around the world. It has always stood out for its high-quality products, innovative and original designs, and comfort-enhancing technologies. Today Duravit is guided by four fundamental values: “Responsibility, Design, Excellence, and Wellbeing.” 
In collaboration with internationally famous designers like Philippe Starck, Sieger Design, Kurt Merki Jr., Christian Werner, Matteo Thun, Cecilie Manz and Bertrand Lejoly, Duravit develops unique and sustainable bathrooms that improve the quality of life. Duravit’s range of products includes ceramic sanitaryware, bathroom furnishings, bathtubs and shower pans, wellness systems, electronic toilet seats, taps, accessories, and even wall installation modules.


Dimora Italia

Dimora Italia is a new arrival on the international luxury hospitality scene offering an ever-expanding portfolio of exclusive and prestigious short-rental properties in Italy.
All our proprieties are beautifully renovated, decorated and furnished in close collaboration with Architects and Interior Design experts, ArchFlorence, famous, among other projects, for the renovation of Castiglion del Bosco, the luxury resort in Montalcino, Siena, Tuscany.  
Incorporating natural linens, hand-painted wallpapers, Persian Kilims and plush furnishings and fabrics created by skilled local artisans against polished marmorino walls, ivory Asiago marble in bathrooms and warm oak flooring underfoot, these stunning interiors never fail to impress. All include everything you need for your stay coupled with luxurious personal touches to make them feel individual, welcoming and decidedly superior.
Dimora Italia does more than provide a wonderful base, we do provide insight and information about every place. We’ll advise you about the hidden gems as well as those that are known and loved. We share our knowledge of Italy – and Venice in particular – with every client to give them the most extraordinary and memorable experiences.

Estel Group

Founded in 1937 by Alfredo Stella, the Estel Group is one of the longest-running and most successful furniture manufacturers in Italy, as well as the leading Italian company in the office furniture market. It is currently headed by Alberto Stella, the company’s president, with the assistance of his sons Massimo and Matteo. The name Estel was coined from Estensibile Stella, a sliding folding door that was patented in the 1950s. The product soon became a bestseller, making the company known throughout Italy. Estel has operated in the home furnishings sector since its inception, while in 1980 it entered the office furniture sector, quickly becoming one of the main players on the international market. Today the company’s core business consists of its five modern, sophisticated office furnishing lines. 
Estel began internationalizing already in the late 1970s: the company began trading first in Belgium (1978), France (1979), the US (1982), and the United Kingdom (1984), and later expanded into other important markets, including Spain, Greece, Taiwan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, Israel, Russia, Hong Kong, Chile, Cyprus, Panama and Palestine. 
Estel has always manufactured its products entirely in Italy. Its two modern industrial plants total over 70 thousand square meters and employ 300 people. The company has always invested heavily in its Research and Development department, which employs dozens of people and represents 3.5% of turnover. Estel operates mainly in the Office area of Contract Furnishings, and to a lesser extent in Residences and Hotels.

Faraone Srl

After over 50 years of activity and a period of renewal, Faraone Srl continues to innovate in the field of Transparent Architecture. It has implemented a range of solutions in a number of important projects, including its contributions to the realization of the Nuvola, by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas; the Stazione Marittima in Salerno, by Zaha Hadid; the Ponte della Pace, by Michele De Lucchi; the Citylife building, by Daniel Libeskind; and the National Stadium of Albania, by Archea Associati.
Among the first in Italy to adopt point-fixed curtainwall technologies, Faraone has increasingly become a leader in the sector of architectural glass.
Its position has been strengthened by its “total quality” approach, which encompasses continuous investments in technological research, the development of new innovations, and special attention to customer service. 
Faraone’s philosophy is to put the core values of passion, continuity, and professionalism at the service of its designers and clients. 
The company’s ongoing training of its personnel and carefully cultivated relationships with its partners and designers throughout Italy have contributed to its synergistic growth, all to the benefit of the end client. Technical advice, qualified installation, information manuals, product tests, compliance with deadlines, offer a unique package with high perceived quality.
Contacting Faraone today means interacting with half a century of experience in architectural glass.

Fedrigoni

Since 1888, the name Fedrigoni has meant excellence in special paper products. The Fedrigoni Group is one of the major players in Europe in the production and sale of various types of high value-added paper for packaging, graphics, and self-adhesive labels. With over 4000 employees in Italy and abroad and a range of 32,000 products, the Group serves 132 countries around the world. Companies that belong to the Fedrigoni Group include Cordenons and the historic Fabriano in the Paper division, and Arconvert, Ritrama (from February 2020) and IP Venus (from December 2020) in the Self-Adhesives division. Thanks also to recent acquisitions, the latter division has earned the position of third global player in the world of self-adhesive materials.

Galardini Sport®

Galardini Sport® was founded in 1980 and has been operating for over 30 years in the construction and maintenance of public and private green areas such as parks, gardens and traffic islands. 
Since 1990 the company has expanded its market into the design, construction, and care of turf for high-level sports activities.
Galardini Sport® has always been at the forefront in terms of both research and development and operational techniques and machinery.
Constant modernization of its specialized machinery for every type of operation and its continuous commitment and collaboration with international research bodies (such as ITGAP, University of Georgia, USA) make Galardini Sport a leader in its sector in Italy. With its high-quality machinery and products, it can carry out any type of operation with excellent results.
In 2011 Galardini Sport expanded its services by opening Bermuda Time®, a nursery specialized in the production of ornamental turf. It is the first and only company in Italy to produce 6 certified varieties of turf species. 
A branch of the company was recently created exclusively for the acquisition of turf performance data, using special tools and software to constantly monitor turf, even remotely, after installation.

GERVASI S.p.A.

GERVASI S.p.A. offers design, engineering, and global solutions for the building industry, restoration projects, and building services. The services that GERVASI S.p.A. offers range from residential, office, commercial construction to the recovery and preservation of historic buildings. Short turnarounds, competitive pricing, superior quality, and service throughout Italy: these are the strengths that make our company capable of responding with absolute professionalism to anything the market may require. Our engineering team has undergone multidisciplinary training in order to efficiently resolve every type of problem. GERVASI S.p.A. manages and facilitates every aspect of the entire decision-making and production process by acting as the client’s sole interlocutor. The company provides its customers with global solutions articulated in three sections: specialist services; works and supplies; and solutions for the recovery, restoration, and conservation of historic buildings. Our multidisciplinary engineering team is equipped to deal with every aspect of the architectural restoration of prestigious historic buildings. Each project is prepared in detail based on careful preliminary studies. Our team is always up-to-date on the latest techniques, so that restoration works are always carried out in an innovative but safe and non-invasive manner, in compliance with general construction principles.

GHIORI SAS

GHIORI SAS was founded in Florence in 2001, based on a previous company. Its organic growth over the last 20 years has been made possible by rigorous attention to customer care and by the fact that it directly employs all of the workers necessary for the execution of high-quality, high-technology installations. 
GHIORI brings its experience and competence to building service works throughout Italy. In addition to electrical and plumbing systems, it is specialized in the data, optical fiber, and security sectors.
Our principal clients are Italian public bodies. We carry out installations and maintenance in museums and other environments of important historical value, the installation of security systems with video surveillance, access control, and building-automation, as well as high-quality works for important private customers, acting as general contractor for the technological building services. We are also specialized in the monitoring and management of renewable energy and new technology solutions.

Knauf Italia

Knauf Italia is the Italian branch of Knauf Gips KG, world leader in the field of drywall gypsum boards and advanced systems for dry construction. The company has been Knauf’s Italian production center since 1977, with two factories for the production of plasterboard, profiles, and gypsum-based plasters. With its undisputed leadership in the field, Knauf is the principal reference point for both the construction industry and end users. It has always paid special attention to the research, development, and production of innovative solutions for walls, ceilings, flooring, insulation and plasters to ensure high performance in terms of acoustic, thermal and fire insulation. Knauf Italia invests heavily in its training programs at its multipurpose centers of Milan and Pisa, offering a wide range of courses and services.
Innovative, technologically advanced systems, attention to training, and partnerships with universities and designers are the strengths that have kept Knauf Italia always at the forefront in proposing technological, anti-seismic, and environmentally friendly solutions.

Linoleum Gomma Zanaga

The first Linoleum Gomma Zanaga shop opened in the center of the city of historic Florence of the 1950s, in Via de’ Benci. It sold resilient flooring, wall coverings, and other materials for home decoration. In the 1970s, the company moved into a new headquarters and also began selling wholesale throughout Italy. Today it continues to sell wholesale through its subsidiary Kobel. 
In 2005, the current owners, Barbara and Marco Zanaga, opened the new headquarters of Linoleum Gomma Zanaga at its present location in Florence on Via Baccio da Montelupo, 14. A showroom measuring 1000 square meters displays interesting opportunities for the residential and contract sectors. Still today it is among Italy’s premier companies for its assortment of plastic and linoleum flooring and wall coverings, elegant and innovative LVT flooring, warm parquet flooring, fine wall-to-wall carpeting, modern rugs, outdoor flooring, colorful fabrics and wallpapers, customized fiberglass panels, bathroom furnishings, awnings in technical fabrics, mosquito nets and more for home furnishings. 

MAG

MAP S.p.A.

MAP has been operating in the sector of metal carpentry since 1974. Founded by Francesco Pesatori as MAP S.n.c., a small company in Trezzano sul Naviglio, over a period of 10 years it acquired a significant amount of experience and importance in the manufacture of metal structures, becoming MAP S.r.l. in 1985. In 1988 the company was joined by Alberto Pesatori, the son its founder. Year after year he tackled every aspect of the business, moving through the various levels of the organization chart, from the factory floor to the design office, learning everything about the business and finally becoming its technical director. The company has thus diversified beyond fences and gates to the production of more complex carpentry works that require careful design development. The company’s potential, together with its desire to adequately serve its customers with a wider and more select range of products, made it necessary to expand its production facilities. In the beginning of the year 2000 it transferred the new Cornaredo site, with 6,000 square meters of outdoor space and 4,500 square meters of indoor space. Expo 2015 was an exciting experience that confirmed the idea that metal carpentry must continue to evolve in order to better respond to contemporary structural and architectural requirements. MAP S.p.A. adheres to an avant-garde production philosophy that has allowed it, over the years, to adequately express the company’s potential, to the point of becoming a reference point for the market.  

Opinion Ciatti

Founded by a Florentine family in the city’s historic Oltrarno neighborhood, Opinion Ciatti produces furnishings and accessories, including bookcases, tables, and chairs for the home, the office, and shared spaces.
The history of the company spans 70 years, marked by exceptional people and moments of great intuition: from the company’s founder, Rolando Ciatti, the first person in Italy to conceive of furniture devoted to the television set, to Bruno Rainaldi, who transformed a stack of books into an iconic contemporary bookcase, the Original Ptolomeo, winner of the Compasso d’Oro 2004.
Today the company is led by Roland’s grandson Lapo Ciatti. He is committed to carrying on the family tradition of providing the company’s attentive, curious, and informed customers with real solutions for niche functions. 
Opinion Ciatti uses cost-efficient materials and processes to produce a wide range of unique and concretely useful objects that lend a striking presence and personal touch to any environment they inhabit. The values that have always sustained the company – reliability, efficiency, and ethics – permit it to honor its history while continuing to anticipate future needs.

Quinti

Founded in 1975, Quinti has become an important manufacturer of metal components for chairs and sofas. Over the years, it has internalized all production processes. Its collaborative relationships with designers and architects have resulted in internationally recognized products. Today, Quinti is a well-organized company with a young, competitive staff that is capable of facing any challenge with enthusiasm and professionalism. Its armchairs, tables and accessory furnishings for offices, the home, and the hospitality industry are inspired by the concept of functional design, based on technical and aesthetic qualities but also on innovation, functionality and customization. Constant change and the transformation of reference points are important strengths of modern societies. We aim to capture and anticipate the spirit of the times, in order to remain protagonists of the evolution of the furniture world while enhancing our traditions, improving our organization, and creatively envisioning the future. 

RasoParete

Our wholly-owned company is constantly evolving to anticipate customer needs. We have always invested heavily in training, technologies, and machinery in order to develop flexible products and customized symptoms that respond to the needs of our most demanding designers and clients. 
The RasoParete team is organized to provide support through every project phase, from executive design through customization, formalization and production of the order. 
RasoParete’s flush wall systems are unique and most of them are patented.
Our flush enclosure systems for building service installations and storage spaces, with elegantly concealed hardware, together with our glazed door and partition systems with fully recessed frames, are capable of solving any type of interior and exterior space problem with a refined, minimalist aesthetic. The reliability, flexibility, and functionality of our products has earned them a place at the following companies and organizations: Geox, Diesel, Guess, Salvatore Ferragamo, Segafredo, Gruppo Permasteelisa, Banca Unicredit, Torre Regione Piemonte, the MAXXI museum, the Uffizi Gallery, the Science Museum of Padova, the Museum of Volterra, Torre Aquileia Jesolo, Ludus Magnum Roma, Coni-Roma, and many others. Our highly industrialized and well organized production processes permit us to offer an almost infinite range of solutions while simplifying every phase, from needs analysis to delivery, including skilled and efficient installation. 

Ceramica Alessandro Sbordoni

Ceramica Alessandro Sbordoni was founded by Alessandro Sbordoni in 1910, initially for the production of artistic ceramics. In the 1920s, its production was extended to include sanitaryware, opening a second factory in Civita Castellana in 1925. A third factory was opened in 1929, and this is where “HYGIA VITREX” is produced, sanitaryware of the highest quality. By 1939 the SBORDONI company had become so renowned that it obtained two historically important awards: a patent issued by the Royal House of Savoy on 8 August 1939, and the insertion of Alessandro Sbordoni’s name in the Ceramists volume of the Italian Biographical Encyclopedia. For this reason, there is a stylized Savoy crown in the “HYGIA VITREX” logo. The founder’s uncommon efforts, insight, and skills soon earned him widespread approval and praise. The company’s production was immediately appreciated by both its customers and the competition. Since the early post-war period, Sbordoni has been considered one of the major Italian manufacturers of sanitaryware, thereby contributing to the prestige of the nascent industries of Rome and Lazio. The company’s development was continuous and constant. In 1958 it went from being an individual company to a joint stock company (S.p.A), an operation that was masterfully conducted by the founder’s two sons. It was during these years of splendor that among other important commissions, Sbordoni became the only supplier of sanitaryware for the Italian State Railways and the Orient Express. Even today, the company’s production is based on its original artisan techniques developed decades ago, while its models continue to be inspired by Alessandro Sbordoni’s original designs from over a century ago. 

Schüco Italia

Schüco Italia is the Italian subsidiary of Schüco International, which boasts a turnover of approximately 1.7 billion euro in 2020 and 70 years of history. Schüco Italia offers high-quality aluminum window, door, façade and sliding door systems for both the residential market and large construction works. 
Headquartered in Padua and with branches in Milan, Turin, Rimini, Rome and Naples, Schüco Italia has a total of 145 employees, 23 sales agents, over 800 window fabrication partners, and relationships with more than 5000 architectural firms and construction companies throughout Italy. 
The company has introduced to Italy a new way to design increasingly energy-efficient buildings, where technology, form, and function interact to ensure maximum safety and living comfort. 
Technology and innovation are an essential part of Schüco Italia’s DNA. By constantly seeking new solutions, the company aims to continuously achieve its objectives in terms of style, well-being, and sustainability. Its ultimate goals are to improve people’s lives, to enhance the beauty and well-being of buildings, and to help make human activities more respectful of the environment. 

Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is a world leader in the lighting sector for professionals and consumers, as well as in the Internet of Things. With sales of € 6.2 billion in 2019, it has approximately 36,000 employees, and serves more than 70 countries. Its Philips products and Interact network-connected lighting systems are capable of transforming urban spaces. Interact Landmark makes it possible to create a captivating urban identity, stimulate civic pride, and attract tourists with its dynamic and personalized lighting scenarios.Interact City, on the other hand, offers sound and stylish infrastructure for renovating urban areas while maintaining respect for historical and environmental heritage. The company’s latest innovations, such as UV-C disinfection devices, the Trulifi system, and solar-powered lighting make our cities more connected, safer and more sustainable. 

Sto

Sto is a leading company on an international level in the field of wall finish systems, with complete solutions for both facades and interior wall finishes. 
In 2021, for the third consecutive year, the “HBM School of Entrepreneurs” of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, recognized Sto as a Global Market Leader for thermal insulation systems.
The company’s guiding principle is its mission to build with conscience. In collaboration with various partners, Sto develops and manufactures innovative solutions for interiors and exteriors that safeguard the health of users and which meet the highest energy efficiency standards. 
The Sto Group participates in the “Global Compact” program of the United Nations, and in 2006 it instituted the Fondazione StoStiftung to support training of the younger generations in architecture and construction. 

Secco Sistemi

Secco Sistemi is an Italian brand that symbolises innovation and design awarded with "Compasso d'Oro". It has been contributing to the evolution of the engineering of doors and windows for 70 years, inventing systems and profiles that have become benchmarks for the industry of this sector and continuing to improve them and interpret the latest projects and trends of contemporary architecture. So far 340 profiles have been developed in 4 select metals – galvanised steel, stainless steel, corten steel and brass – and in 9 different finishes with an annual production of 2.8 million linear metres of profiled bars for 280,000 doors and windows.
 
Secco Sistemi è un marchio italiano espressione d'innovazione e design premiato "Compasso d'Oro". Da 70 anni contribuisce all'evoluzione dell'ingegneria del serramento: inventa sistemi e profili che diventano modelli di riferimento per l'industria del settore e continua a perfezionarli per interpretare progetti e tendenze dell'architettura contemporanea. Sviluppa oggi 340 profili in 4 metalli pregiati – acciaio zincato, acciaio inox, acciaio corten e ottone – e in 9 finiture; produce ogni anno 2,8 milioni di metri lineari di barre profilate per 280.000 porte e finestre.

Universal Selecta S.p.A.

Universal Selecta S.p.A. is a company based in Milan, specialized in solutions for the distribution of interior spaces. It offers versatile solutions for any environment with a wide range of products suitable for all needs. Main strength is the noise reduction that Universal Selecta reaches with its products. 
Techniques and materials allow to create high performance and CE marked solutions. 
Since its debut, in the second half of the seventies, the company has developed, built and installed its own products, following the project from the meta-planning phase to its fulfilment. 
The company, established on the Italian territory, guarantees its presence on foreign markets through a branched logistical and sales network. 
Today Universal Selecta present CHAKRA, an architectural modular system for interiors supplied in kit which allows to create, quickly and easily, bespoke oasis of privacy. 
Chakra won the award “Premio Compasso D’Oro ADI 2020” and it is now part of the ADI’s permanent collection.

Volteco

Founded in 1976, Volteco has become, with over forty years of activity, a solid point of reference in the world of waterproofing products for the construction industry. Volteco works with passion and commitment both in Italy and abroad through its collaboration with distributors and architects. Volteco is the name to choose for preventing or solving every type of problem caused by water. The solutions proposed by Volteco are designed to meet the specific needs of each problem area, including waterproofing of basements, swimming pools and ponds, and terraces and balconies, the dehumidification of walls, and the protection of façades. 
Thanks to its expert and highly professional technical staff and its trained and constantly updated network of installers, Volteco is able to provide personalized advice at every stage of the construction process. 

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