Bjarke Ingels Group to Design San Pellegrino’s Flagship Factory

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has won an international competition to design a flagship factory for San Pellegrino in Bergamo, Italy. Competition judge Studio Molinari announced BIG and MVRDV as finalists in October, beating a shortlist that also included Snøhetta and Architetto Michele De Lucchi.

BIG’s proposal will build upon the architecture of the original factory, nodding to classic elements of Italian architecture. “Rather than imposing a new identity on the existing complex, we propose to grow it out of the complex,” said Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of BIG. San Pellegrino has bottled its natural mineral water at the same factory along the Brembo River since 1899.

Archways, a prominent theme in BIG’s proposal, will be used throughout the campus to create a cavernous yet transparent experience for visitors. “We propose to wash away the traditional segregation between front and back of house, and to create a seamless continuity between the environment of production and consumption, and preparation and enjoyment,” Ingels said.