have been made and the results achieved.

On the right side of the courtyard is the factory showroom. A unique place rich in

atmosphere and details, a silent place (notwithstanding the near production plant)

where people can free their mind and appreciate the collections. The soft lights, the

music in the background, the flames of the fireplaces and the sound of water are all

elements that allow visitors to live an experience of total relaxation and at the same time

touch with their hands sinks, bathtubs, sanitary-ware and all other products gathered

by the same elegant and refined style. An inspiring setting where it is easy to give life to

imagination and perceive the importance of colours, textures, and surfaces in relation to

the surrounding space. From the elegance of glass to solid aspects of materials, from the

ephemeral presence of fire to metallic reflections: the showroom setting is constantly

renovated to welcome brand new collections integrating them with existing ones.

On the opposite side of the courtyard the production plant occupies several buildings.

From the paint department to the assembly line, from the packing department to the

stock of raw materials, and stock of accessories ending with an area dedicated to

shipping.

A simple layout for processing orders and pass rapidly to a finished product. The glass

factory is the only exception because in a more hidden area to guarantee easy movement

and safety when working with large sheets of glass from which sinks, consoles, mirrors

and mirrored cabinets are produced from.

Three buildings rise up in the place originally occupied by the Cristal Lupi Luxor factory

to complete the courtyard on the back side. These parallel spaces, characterized by

barrel vaults, represent a free industrial area without internal divisions.

In June 2010 one of the buildings, originally dedicated to the packaging of mirrors, was

renovated for two new protagonists of the antoniolupi collections: the stone sinks and

monolithic tubs as well as the fireplaces. The 1100 square meters were completely

emptied to make the architectural elements visible through a refined renovation. This

is an ideal space to accommodate the sculptural and sometimes imposing products,

to appreciate the sensuality of materials, to test the fireplaces and contemplate the

flame. In this “industrial living space”, a sort of hangar or large loft, people find a

unique atmosphere: the heat of the fire and the smooth stone surfaces contrast with the

hardness of the unfinished walls awakening all senses. The name of the new showroom

is, La Pietra e il Fuoco, contrasts externally with the rest of the space. A matt lacquered

black façade draws immediately the attention of visitors, less attracted by the grey walls

of the other buildings.

Centrally located since 2012 is a “magic lantern” representing the cornerstone of the

entire plant. Il Giardino delle Idee, a space dedicated to projects, research, development

and where creativity finds its place. This three story building with its glass front looks

upon the green area of the courtyard bounded by cypresses and osmanthus bushes. The

entrance of this building is characterized by the presence of nature: a large greenhouse

with a tropical garden where different plants create an organized jungle as well as a

green filter hiding the offices on the other side that are offered a relaxing view. Lush

greenery that highlights the formal simplicity of the external walls, made of innovative

soundproofed glass. On the ground floor there are two conference rooms and one

archive/library; on the first floor an open space with a meeting room, a brainstorming

room and an operative area with 18 desks. On the second floor a kitchen/relax area that

leads to a large balcony with a beautiful view of the factory and the surrounding hills. A

place to rest, converse or be alone but also a great place to organize events. With Patrizia

Lupi’s beloved collection of roses, the Garden of Ideas matches perfectly the essence of

antoniolupi. A company where people can creatively work in a team, live in contact with

nature, share opinions with others to offer products and ideas, always a step forward

in the future.

6 - A STORY THAT STARTS FROM A VISION

“An idea and its sign underlie everything. I have never done market research, I don’t

need to do much to know if a project is the right one, I have only developed those

projects that I liked and that moved me. Often the product is looking right at you, you

just have to be able to see it!”

Courage and perseverance to face a tortuous path, flexibility and coherence to find

new ideas maintaining the same style, ability to imagine possible future developments

of a project: these are essential skills for a businessman and his collaborators, and

antoniolupi has them. Andrea is catalyst of new ideas, contaminations and suggestions

which are translated into products with a strong identity, able to match perfectly the

tailor-made bathroom concept of the company. A “tailored dress” designed according

to the request of the client, with products combined with architectural elements, light,

surfaces and all other components of space.

Antoniolupi creates charming and elegant ambiences which arouse feelings, generate

unique experiences and tell stories...”I like talking about projects and not about

product and to do so I love involving diverse professionals such as architects, designers,

technicians, graphic designers, anyone who can contribute to improve a project. We

don’t want to replace them, but cooperate together to create something magic” says

Andrea. Every project, developed through a traditional research method or through

Andrea’s ability of reinterpreting the sketches proposed by designer or architects, is then

converted into a collection or a range of products. Sometimes projects are commissioned

to reliable designers, sometimes they come directly from personal initiative of architects.

“Some designers are more formal, other more technical. The company has to be aware

of what can be produced because it’s useless to chase unconceivable dreams or

confront projects that are not in our range. Every designer has his own style, some have

a soft and baroque touch, others a minimal and refined taste similar to antoniolupi’s.

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In both cases our job consists in improving the original idea through a straightforward

approach even with designers that appear different from us”.

Many collections come from similar collaborations, e.g. for the Talamo series, designed

by Domenico De Palo, originally proposed as outdoor seating and later transformed into

bathtub and sink in apricena stone. “I was looking for someone who could extract the

best features from local stone, I knew that antoniolupi could do it. I was thinking of an

outdoor collection, but I was in the house of baths yet the destiny of my project was

clear...” says Andrea “I still remember that day of 2008, when Domenico visited me with

a series of stone scale models for an outdoor collection and I immediately told him that

he was in the wrong place. However, I appreciated those models, they had a beautiful

shape and were well made...behold an idea. I told Domenico that the new collection was

in front of us, we just had to dig further to pull out bathtub and sink. Talamo was born and

later proposed also in Cristalplant”.

A partnership that with De Palo has led to the creation of some of the most important

products in antoniolupi’s collections.

“When he proposed to me to investigate the subject of fire, and in particular to develop

a collection of bioethanol fireplaces I immediately wondered: what does a bathroom

producer have to do with fire? We didn’t have a clue, we didn’t know where to begin,

I didn’t have any idea how we would communicate and distribute this kind of product.

However, Domenico’s design convinced me once again, that cut in the surface he

designed was so elegant and essential that it was worth the try. No one had ever

included a fireplace in their bathroom and so I accepted the challenge”. The involvement

of the master of fireplaces, Massimo Pistolesi, was crucial to fill the gap of expertise in

the subject. Together with the company he finalized all technical aspects for the new

collection of bioethanol fireplaces Il Canto del Fuoco and his contribution was decisive

even afterwards in the later collection of wood fireplaces, Skema, designed by Mario

Ferrarini. As often happens at antoniolupi, a project never ends in itself as it does not

conclude with its realization but instead it continues to influence the following collections.

The theme of “ wall encasing products “ has obliged the company to a long study over

integration between space and its composing elements. A different way of reading

projects, a different method of intervention that sees the company side by side with

interior design in early stages of the project so that these products can express their best.

On the other side of the design of Il Canto del Fuoco and replacing fire with water we

created a new collection of sinks Strappo (in 2012), elegant objects that come out of the

wall surface without any visible interruption. They are entirely made of Corian®, they are

plastered and finished to finally merge with the surface of the wall. A different design

but same concept of “ encasing “ for SESAMO designed by Studio Arkimera. A collection

of bathroom accessories created with the young studio and presented to Andrea during

Salone 2012. From an idea to a collection of revolutionary concealed accessories that

become visible only when you need them. In the same year the complete collection was

displayed at the Cersaie fair, this happened after only 5 months of development. The

collection allows a perfect integration of the elements that are disappearing in the wall

and are only recognizable by the thin perimeter lines of niches.

Ceiling encased shower heads are still part of theme, they were created in 2011 and

designed by Nevio Tellatin. A very complex project from a technical point of view. The

rainfall effect created by water turns a minimalistic design into an emotional experience,

in perfect Lupi style.

Exelen collection, designed by Oscar and Gabriele Buratti, opens up to concepts of “

tailor-made” and mix of different elements, materials and functions reaching their

best expression in bathrooms. “I chose the Buratti studio for their ability to work with

the many stages of a project. For this collection I was in need of somebody who was

able to read space in its complexity and completeness, someone able to perceive the

value of proportions, necessary spaces as well as the balance between positive and

negative spaces. Actually, our relationship was born for a different project. With Abol

I had tested them for reinterpreting a ceramics wc from a resin seat”. Exelen is an

integrated collection where all its components are designed to match with each other.

They are formally coherent and coordinated, their features are rigorous and determined

but also soft and embracing to allow the possibility of forming unusual and customized

combinations. And we reach year 2014, with the latest project presented by the company

“We were looking for a project that could embrace a different style far from our own and

from excessive pure and essential style. 90% of the world’s bathrooms are furnished

with classical style furniture, we had to propose something”. It was a difficult challenge

because it was different, a reinterpretation, this time very formal, of the most classical/

baroque style in a contemporary style. Andrea sees in Roberto Lazzeroni the ideal

designer for this collection and leaves him full freedom imposing only one condition.

“ For a long time I had thought of re-editing my father’s mirrors, and thus I told

Roberto to begin from the mirrors, that had to be the starting point of the collection

around which we could design a complete proposal with a new language”. ILBagno

is a bourgeois and romantic collection as Andrea loves to define it. It is a less rigorous

and minimalistic collection and recalls memories and suggestions of past styles. A

revision of past contents obtained through antoniolupi in a typical clean and pure style

and through extreme attention to details and excellent work and materials employed.

The latest collection re-starts from the beginning, from the first steps of Antonio’s

company: ILBagno brings continuity into innovation, coherency of vision and love for

beauty and well made things.

7 - MAN IS THE CENTRE OF ALL THINGS

“ We are proud of being a 100% Made in Italy company that exports to many countries.

We would like to consolidate and improve this position and look at the future with the

awareness that Stabbia and Tuscany are our home, because we were born and raised

here”.

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