On the road

„It was back in 1969 when a rider named Arnaldo Farioli won the Italian Enduro Championship – a sport then still referred to in Italy as „motoregolarità“ – on a 125 cc KTM. This marked the beginning of a story of men and motorbikes that was to become a world legend.“ These words introduce the history of the KTM Farioli dealership of Bergamo, Italy on the company’s official website. But let’s go back a little further in time. KTM (an acronym for the Kronreif und Trunkenpolz Mattighofen) was founded in the 1950s and first began to chalk up success in off-road races towards the mid-1960s. The Kappa, as it was known at the time, inspired the dreams of entire generations of fans. After overcoming corporate difficulties during the early nineties, the Austrian brand has since become a legend. In Bergamo, Italy, this legend is personified by the Enduro champion Arnaldo Farioli, who together with his family has transformed a passion into a successful business as a modern dealership and a world-leading racing team. Founded more than 30 years ago, the KTM dealership in Bergamo recently underwent a thorough restyling operation. The mastermind of the renovation project was architect Carlo Giani in collaboration with Arnaldo’s son Paolo Farioli, who like his elder brother Fabio also boasts formidable racing achievements (riding a KTM, of course!). Paolo is responsible for managing the dealership, Fabio the KTM Factory Enduro Team, the parent company’s official racing team, and Team Farioli which competes in the Italian and World Championships.
Their father is the company director and overall administrator. The original idea was to create an authentic „on the road“ atmosphere by installing an actual road surface inside the store, complete with a white centre line and grass verges, that would be visible through the large windows facing onto the street. The modern style „attempts to offer an original reinterpretation of the standard requirements stipulated by the parent company“. While using the official colours and furnishings, the project opted for the use of visually striking materials and strong contrasts. The floors are clad with anthracite grey coloured porcelain tiles in a 60×60 cm size from Ceramiche Gardenia Orchidea’s Infinity Stone collection, whose natural matte finish resembles the surface of a block of hewn stone but also offers a realistic simulation of the rough surface of a paved road. This creates a strong contrast with the orange of the bikes and all-terrain vehicles on display in the dealership and of the advertising graphics – „Are you ready“ and „Ready to race“ – which identify the on-road and off-road sections.
Outside, the same official KTM orange colour features on the façade as a bright strip running lengthwise around the building. Once again, the dominant colour is dark grey punctuated by the large windows looking out onto the street. Two upper-level windows are reserved for the past glories of the Austrian brand. So while the ground floor represents the present and houses the latest models of on-road and off-road bikes and four-wheel ATVs, lifting one’s gaze one can admire the sporting glories of the past, the foundations on which the company has built its future.