The fluidity of tailor-made design

“Fluidity: this term is increasingly at the center of contemporary design research, which seeks to interpret and explore materials traditionally found in other fields “

Fabrizio Milesi, art director and designer at Ciam, thus introduces one of the pillars of the brand’s vision and production: customization.  A value that has become one of the main distinguishing marks of the company, which with its historical experience can transform and shape its products as if they were organic matter, adapting them to the project in terms of aesthetics and size, without any compromise on the technical and functional side.

A work that results in total collaboration with architectural studios and professionals who use Ciam products, and that sees the latter increasingly extending its range of materials and research into unconventional elements to meet and give life to any design fantasy. This continuous evolutionary drive, made up of creative exchanges between the realities involved, is an inexhaustible treasure to draw on in order to study innovative solutions and undertake new paths.  The relationship between different cultures and worlds creates alchemy capable of generating inspirations for new forms and functions – continues Milesi. -Many materials conceived for industrial applications today applied to design find new forms of beauty, rich in unexpected aesthetic and functional values. 

Proof of this is the latest project conceived and realized on the occasion of Milano Design Week 2021. It is through this vision – continues Milesi – that I met Matteo Brioni and his exclusive research on raw earth. I imagined it as the new surface for Table, the new custom system of refrigerated tables designed for CIAM.  A new product characterized by a composition of different functions coexisting on the same surface, and thanks to the custom capabilities developed by the brand, it abandons the concept of standard, replacing it with that of a unique creation each time. -Table defines a new concept: it reinterprets the idea of the counter that traditionally divides the operator from the customer with a logic of spatial separation – explains the designer. – The table, on the other hand, through the element of the suspended top and with its functional dimensions explores a new approach to sharing in the horeca environment. It represents the functional element that invites you to lean on its surface, and to touch it; in this regard, I believe the choice of raw earth is the ideal one to transfer the sense of natural well-being to Table. 

Being by the side of designers and being their support of excellence, means for Ciam to look in the same direction and build horizons together.

Custom production embodies this principle because it stems from the desire to connect, respond and unite seamlessly with the project. The customization experience conceived by Ciam, in fact, does not simply consist of a wide range of finishes, but in a fluid perspective, in which the product is connected to the project as a tailor-made work, without visible gaps: the aim is to be one with the context, this is what makes the difference. Caffè Fernanda is a key example of this approach of total dedication to the project in its entirety. The counter was enhanced with Canaletto walnut slats, burnished brass countertops, mirrored backstage with brass tubes, and wooden shelves with built-in LED lighting.  Color and materials are the philosophical and aesthetic pillars around which the construction of the space is built, bringing to an equal value the visual and tactile levels of discovery: a fundamental characteristic for an ambitious environment that elevates the experience of interaction to an element of exhibition art.

The Caffè Doria in Rome, located in Via della Gatta and a historic point of reference for visitors to the Doria Pamphilj Art Gallery reflects the ability inscribed in Ciam’s DNA to go deep into a project, to understand and touch its nature and to shape its products accordingly.  The use of Canaletto walnut returns in small strips for the cladding and is combined with noir desire polished gres tops and satin-finish brass details. In the bar area, the FLAT P800 TS display case with UV glued glass case is accompanied by a Compact back counter with painted doors and backlit mirrors in classic style; the two Murozero BT/TN cabinets are carefully covered by a wooden cladding with side mirrors.

For the 2019 Alcova Space, Fabrizio Milesi imagined a strongly balanced and symmetrical set design, that confronts the almost sacred and decadent monumentality of industrial archaeology.

It is characterized by a perfect symmetry of elements, the two large concrete beams and the vaulted roof above. The exhibition space is built with two of the most representative products of Ciam’s custom research and development: Murozero Slide, the vertical refrigerated cabinet with coplanar sliding doors flush with the wall selected by the ADI Design Index 2018, and Move16, the horizontal showcase with automatic opening of the glass cases. The polished stainless steel finish of the two Move16 makes them ethereal, almost transparent, multiplying, with their reflective surface, the movements of the visitors inside the space. These two cabinets placed one in front of the other gently guide the gaze towards the large Murozero Slide with monochromatic matt finish. 

For Mangiarbene, the first luxury food hall of the Viander holding company, the project curated by architect Alfio Barabani led Ciam to experiment and create an elegant, welcoming atmosphere with a modernist, contemporary feel. The 6040 TSA horizontal showcase, depth 1000, has its interior powder-coated in matt black with gres panelling, complete with cutting counter and checkout counter with elements in natural iron. The three custom Murozero cabinets have a lowered height and recall the matt black finish. The real protagonist of this venue is the Esclusive 74S custom cabinet, with oversized 4×4 m. dimensions, intended for the display of Mangiarbene’s fine hams.

With Ciam, the term custom is expanding, it takes on different values and forms in continuous evolution, from the miniaturization of parts and functions in horizontal display cases to the glorification of space with extra-large vertical display cases that reach monumental dimensions and a museum-like character. The Ciam custom continues to offer an experience capable of revolutionizing the sense of space and physical laws, of interacting with the project and being the essential tool in the hands of every architect.