The headquarters of Salewa in Bolzano by Cino Zucchi

At the beginning of October, the main headquarters of Salewa, a company producing equipment for mountain sports, was opened in northern Italy in Bolzano. The project was completed in a record time of two and a half years. The authors of the complex, with a total volume of 350,000 m³, are two Milanese studios, Cino Zucchi Architetti and Park Associati. The resulting structure, which resembles a rocky massif, is one of the largest construction projects in South Tyrol. The fifty-meter glass tower rising in the valley around Bolzano ultimately required special permission from the authorities. In addition to office spaces, the complex also features a conference hall, a research center for the development of new products, and a gigantic fully automated storage hall. A diverse program is prepared for visitors: an exhibition hall, a company store, a café, a public park, and a children's corner. However, the main attraction is the climbing wall covering 2000 m², from which visitors can enjoy views of the surrounding mountain range through large-scale glazing. The façade of the Salewa headquarters is shaded by perforated bluish-gray aluminum panels on the south and west sides, while the north and east are formed by a suspended glass façade. The resulting composition is meant to evoke a mountain massif. The variously shaped parts of the building are derived from the internal use of the structure.