Casalgrande Padana intends to strengthen the deep relationship it has always had with design. Culture of manufacture and culture of design are actually the fundamental areas of engagement for the company’s development strategies, as over the last 50 years the company has managed to direct its unfailing growth towards achieving balance and responsibility, not just by basing its productions on technological innovation and the search for new aesthetic and functional solutions for the design world, but also by cultivating a special sensitivity to such issues as sustainable development, the protection of the environment and corporate social accountability.
To celebrate 50 years of its history, Casalgrande Padana has organised a number of very interesting events and cultural initiatives.

The first event is the “Casalgrande Ceramic Cloud”, a combination of architecture and land art, designed by Kengo Kuma and made by Casalgrande Padana, under an agreement with the Municipality of Casalgrande.
The work, the first one to be made by the great Japanese architect in Italy, is well under way and will be finished before next summer.
Set in a communal green area of over 2,8000 square metres, the installation is located on the new Strada Pedemontana next to the company’s production site, with such spectacular landmark acting as the Eastern Gate to the regional ceramic district.
The work is an unusual three-dimensional construction that experiments with innovative applications of the latest-generation ceramic units. Entirely made of special, large glazed stoneware tiles mechanically anchored to a specially-designed metal frame, the construction is over 40 metres large and 7 metres high and looks like an architectural object of refined elegance intended to symbolically mark a traditional productive region which is deeply bonded to the culture of design.  

“Casalgrande Ceramic Cloud” will also be the focus of another, important cultural event during Design Week, from 13th to 19th April, at Milan’s Università Statale, where Casalgrande Padana will take part in the Interni Think Tank with an evocative installation by Kengo Kuma inspired by the work that is under construction.

Also during the event organised by the magazine Interni, on Wednesday 14th the great Japanese architect will give a conference in the Assembly Hall of Milan’s Università Statale and will attend the awards ceremony for the Grand Prix 2007-2009, the eighth international architecture award promoted by Casalgrande Padana.

On the occasion, the company will launch the ninth award, which was created by the glazed stoneware leader in 1990 for the best works made with their products all over the world.

CCCWall at Interni Think Tank
Milano, Fuorisalone, 13 - 25 april 2010

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