It was first created in 1996, with the aim of being a place open to the public and to institutions, not just a place of memory but also one of sharing and discussion. The Research Center of Gruppo Fantoni, a campus at Osoppo (Udine), has now been updated to carry on with the same concept, expanding it in terms of themes and offerings. When the health crisis is over, the facility will be ready as a fixed point from which to start over, a tangible expression of the values of the group itself.
The new set-up of Centro Ricerche Fantoni is thus accompanied by updated educational functions, new sections that delve into the company’s most important themes – sustainability, circular economy, evolution of wood-based materials, surfaces, acoustics, renewable energy – in an increasingly immersive pathway through the history of Fantoni, founded in 1882 by Achille Fantoni, after which it has become a reference point in the office furniture sector. The center becomes a hub where schools and universities can also learn and gain experience, thanks to a large auditorium to host conferences and talks. The in-house library is also of great importance, containing collections of magazines that have made the history of furniture and design, including the nine volumes of the publishing series Blueindustry.
While nature, environment and sustainable development, architecture, the formulation of new materials and individual creativity, industrial culture and design culture are the distinctive factors of the company’s activities and identity, they are also the elements that define the project of the Research Center.
“This approach is based on the desire to combine respect for and protection of a heritage of people, ideas, objects, and the idea that a strong cultural mission in companies can represent a fundamental tool with which to improve the world around us,” the company says.
