A logo, a symbol, a story
The Barilla Grain Pavilion is located on the Barilla campus near Pedrigiano, Italy.
Its design is inspired by Barilla’s logo, the simplicity of their wholesome products and the ingredients from which they are made.
The Pavilion rises from the earth towards the sun upon which all food depends. The oval shape recalls the Barilla logo, itself derived from the shape of an egg – a primary pasta ingredient, and symbol of fertility and rebirth through the ages.
The concentric format of the Pavilion also resembles a grain of wheat – a second main ingredient of pasta, which also manifests in the building landscape and surrounding agriculture.
Water, the final primary ingredient, is reflected in the central water feature and surrounding moat, which calls to mind the surrounding blue of Barilla’s pasta brand identity and pomerium, or sacred ditch, dug by the Etruscans to delineate and initiate the founding of a new city.
The Pavilion will provide a lasting legacy for the future, while acknowledging the deep history and ongoing vibrancy of the region.
The site as a whole embodies Barilla’s field to fork philosophy, enticing vegetable tourists with its wholesome, homegrown ingredients, while at the same time providing visitors with a physical demonstration of the research, cutting-edge processes and sensitive land management that back up Barilla’s commitment to food excellence.
An institution for the socialisation of food
Standing on a central courtyard and characterised by an open and dynamic form, the Barilla Grain Pavilion creates an intentional contrast to the otherwise hard, closed architecture of the surrounding area. Rising seamlessly from the ground, the new Pavilion creates a transition between the factory on one side and the landscape on the other.
The layout of the curved building follows the well-known classical architectural typology: the courtyard, atrium or arena, creating an authentic space that is rational, functional and symbolic.
The larger ellipse defines the external envelope of the building and the smaller ellipse the inner courtyard, which is open to the sky and further illuminated by the openness and transparency of the surrounding building. In the centre, a sunken amphitheatre and water feature provide the focus.
At its lowest point the ring so formed touches the earth, creating the main entry to the inner courtyard and at the same time access to the roof garden. The way the structure rises on both sides of the entrance creates a sound barrier on the motorway side and protects against the wind.
The building forms a gentle but powerful inclined plane that extends the landscape across the entire surface of the roof. The primary functions of the program are arranged around the central courtyard below the sloping roof garden, grouping multiple departments within a single envelope.
The roof garden, which is in fact a working small-holding that supplies the Sapori Barilla and shop with vegetables and herbs, is laid out in formal concentric segments that mirror the scheme’s overall aesthetic. Sustainability plays an essential role throughout the design and the green roof facilitates rainwater harvesting.
The summit of the Pavilion provides stunning views of the surrounding landscape and Barilla campus, while its form embraces and enhances the existing landscape. Its strong, supple structure, visible from afar, encourages visitors to come on in and experience the pure, wholesome nature of the Barilla brand.
The roof can be turned into a dress circle in the event of performances in the inner courtyard.
The comforts of the central courtyard relating to air, light, privacy, security and tranquillity create a unique space for social interactions, encouraging cohesion between staff, guests and members of the public within a natural, symbiotic environment. The courtyard unifies the different aspects of the program creating an additional layer of functional dialogue within the building. Appropriate functional separation is achieved by placing all visitor entrances to the various elements of the program along the inner courtyard wall and all and staff and trade entrances around the outer wall of the envelope.
The appearance of the Pavilion changes continuously with the observer’s point-of-view: from outside the main entrance it forms a flattened ellipse, which grows into a circle as the building is approached; from other aspects it looks like a dome or a wedge sliced from the earth. As the sun moves throughout the day, the lines of light and shadow both in the central courtyard and inside the building itself shift to create complex evolving curves. Throughout the year, the plants on the roof and in the courtyard spring forth, grow and are harvested. The architecture is thus in constant flux.
Yet within this flux the concept clearly creates both a physical identity and a unique sense of purpose and place for each element within the scheme. Amazement goes beyond mere engineering excellence and entices visitors into a dynamic, new spatial and environmental experience.
The surrounding landscape is composed of a wheat fields on the motorway side, a green parking area and orchards that connect the Pavilion with the main office. A sports track runs alongside the surrounding moat to increase participation in exercise by campus staff and support their wellbeing.
ProgramBrand exhibition, Museum, Library, OfficeLocationBarilla HQ, Parma, ItalyDate2019ClientBarilla Group, ParmaArchitectHof Architects, LondonDesign TeamStephane HofRafael PortilloPartner ArchitectGPA PartnersAntonio AsquinoStructural Eng.AKT IIDaniel Bosia, Hanif KaraBuilding SustainabiltyAtelier TenServices Eng.Atelier TenMeredith DaveyLandscapingHof ArchitectsEcologistAude de LiedekerkeCost / QSAlinea Consulting LLPPaul AllenTypeInternational Open CompetitionStatusShortlisted - Second StageSize14.500 SqmPhotographyCG LightPyxid