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.
“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.
“ 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”.