From Piedmont to the world

Casa Ferrero, the world-famous confectionery multinational’s Luxembourg headquarters, is a melting pot of cultures and nationalities where 1,400 employees from 51 countries come together in the pursuit of Italian excellence and set a global standard in terms of workplace and product quality.
This magnificent 12-floor, 30,000 square metre building was designed by Luxembourg-based practice Architectes Perry Weber et Associés. Following an international call for tenders, the interior design project was awarded to the Paris-based firm Lonsdale, which also produced an almost 100-page publication documenting every stage in the project. In the book, Lonsdale’s Creative Director and Senior Partner François Hannebicque comments: «Our agency’s approach is always to convey our client’s corporate values and unique characteristics. In order to design Casa Ferrero, we explored the family’s history, its relationships, humility and generosity, and of course the company’s distinctive blend of Italian tradition and spirit of innovation. We visited Alba several times, got to know the staff and even studied hazelnut cultivation! We immersed ourselves in the company’s world. And it was nice to be told that we had really gained an understanding of Ferrero and that our project had a soul.»
The new headquarters is a kind of village consisting of offices, conference rooms, restaurants, recreational spaces, gyms and car parks. Comprising two main blocks plus a third that runs perpendicular to the other two, it has an imposing main entrance — the spectacular Golden Gate made of steel and laminated glass with a golden metal mesh resembling fine tulle sandwiched between two sheets of glass. This entrance leads directly into the busy plaza-style central atrium, the real heart of Casa Ferrero with its large windows, colourful interior structures and a floor covering consisting of 125,000 individual paving blocks.
The ground floor also features four restaurants and a bar designed to offer employees a choice of different culinary experiences every day.
Italian ceramic tiles from Marca Corona were used to give a touch of character, comfort and functionality to these important and much-used spaces. The restaurants all have a traditional Italian name along with their own distinctive personality, atmosphere, furnishings and materials. Il Giardino, complete with olive trees and etchings of hazelnuts, cocoa beans and cherries (the ingredients of Ferrero’s signature products), features wooden furnishings, articulated lighting fixtures and diner seats in bright, glamorous Italian colours. The flooring consists of Prestige wood-effect porcelain tiles, chosen in the colour Brown to give a touch of warmth to the entire ambience.
Presto, a restaurant with a more minimalist design with raised wooden tables and stools, is the perfect place for a quick snack. The flooring again consists of tiles from the Prestige series, which are easy to clean, hard-wearing and non-absorbent, this time chosen in a bright Beige colour. Diners preferring a more leisurely, relaxed lunch can opt for Fresco, a restaurant with a cosy, bright and relaxing atmosphere that stands out for its use of white-coloured brick-look wall tiles, comfortable Nordic-style chairs and the Street series concrete-effect porcelain floor tiles with neutral colours and delicate textural details.