Architectours is a design tourism initiative whose purpose is to connect architects and interior designers with Italy's leading manufacturers and companies. Rich in cultural heritage, Italy is noted as being the pioneering father of great furniture and industrial design, and is considered to be the largest ‘open air' design museum in the world. It boasts more than 25.000 design manufacturers, over 3400 museums, 2100 archaeological locations and parks, making it the ideal destination for discovering renowned furniture brands and historical, architecture sites.
Architectours provides architects and interior designers with a view into Italy's diverse creative and industrial output, with insights into the high-end industrial craftsmanship of companies such as that of Kristalia. Since 1994, the furniture brand has been defending its own notion of ‘Made in Italy', working with the belief that by sharing the path that each piece of their furniture takes, clients will see the overall value of the work and have a better overview of the products they make.
Our Kristalia design tour includes a visit to its new headquarters whose architecture is an extension of the company's key values: transparency and sustainability. These principles are evident through the way in which Kristalia approaches each of its projects — from production processes to advertising — and are physically expressed through the architecture of its production facilities.
Designed by Sandro Burigana, Kristalia's headquarters references the factory-villages, and so called ‘farms', that are still found in regions of Italy; while recalling the company's early days as a glass producer, before it transitioned into furniture design. It is architecturally outfitted with a white envelope representative of snow and light, along with expansive glazing that offers panoramic views of the surrounding of trees and mountains, all at once providing a clean, airy environment for creativity, while blending harmoniously with its natural landscape setting.
We take creatives through all phases of the design process that highly specialized Kristalia workers engage in — from mechanical production to hand-made finishes to showroom presentation. We not only offer a better understanding of the types of skills and materials that reflect Kristalia's design philosophy, its commitment to innovation and sustainability, and what makes it unique within the market, but also highlight the quality and care that is instilled into Italian production.
A visit to Kristalia leaves you with a better of appreciation for how the company develops quality design pieces, expressing just what it means to be ‘Made in Italy', and why it needs to be preserved.
Architectours' aims at helping creatives discover places, artifacts, and brands with visits to major museums, corporate archives, showrooms, company headquarters, factories, and architectural sites. Our design tours are a great opportunity for meeting and networking with design protagonists, while getting a backstage look at industry. We connect architects and interior designers with all aspects of Italy's design scene.
More info about our design tour here
More info about Kristalia here
Photo credits: Francesco Dolfo
Kristalia's headquarters is located in Pordenone in eastern Italy
The building has been designed to reflect the surrounding lowlands of its location
Designed by Sandro Burigana, the headquarters reflects Kristalia's key values: transparency and sustainability
Large, expansive windows offer transparency and panoramic views to the surrounding natural landscape
The KristaliaClub is a venue that supports artistic initiatives within the community by hosting events such as live jazz performances and book presentations
Production facilities where Kristalia furniture pieces are assembled
In-house product testing machines ensure quality across Kristalia's goods.
