De Castelli: Metal Covering for OVS & Excelsior Milano, Expo Milano 2015
Work – 14/07/2015
Eighty days for designing and realizing two pavillions in the prestigious location of Expo Milano 2015, situated in a neuralgic position, paying attention to the reflection of different philosophies of the company, one democratic, the other one - more exclusive, both dedicated to two fashion-related brands: OVS and Excelsior Milano. It has been a challenge, compelling and complex, chosen to be faced by the architects (and university professors) Alessandro Pedron and Marco Zito, when an initial idea formulated by Gruppo Coin, which through the OVS and Excelsior brand is the Official Retailer of the Milan Expo, was supposed to be turned into a concrete assignment. Here, the invention consists of a unique large metal shingles in the rhomboidal from, developed by Palmer and Zito with the Venetian company De Castelli that blends into its business strategy a now enviable experience in metal finishes for architecture, with a continuous research for innovation.
The collaboration and personal friendship between Marco Zito and Albino Celato, gave birth to an innovative mantle of diagonal four-side geometrical figures, designed in two different finishes for the two brands: technological and industrial in brushed aluminium finish in the case of OVS and precious cor-tén délabré with gold-coloured reflections to represent the more sophisticated and exclusive identity of Excelsior Milano.
Both versions are complemented by a finish created manually on individual shingles, which has helped transforming into a texture the coat already "moved" by particular diagonal disposition and diferent level of installation of the metal plates.
"When we started formulating the project, we immediately thought of rendering the realization more noble, essentially through an industrial material characterized by refinement of a special manual processing", explain Palmer and Zito. "Well aware of the company's opennes to experimenting, we turned to De Castelli, addressing together technical, aesthetic and functional problems posed by what we imagined as a bright, shimmering metal skin that would get oxidized by the weather."
The partnership between De Castelli and Lattoneria Vladimiro Giacometti has preciously contributed to the resolution of the coating technique and its installation.
