01_CAPUA1880_GEZA_photo credits Javier Callejas_LD

New life through architecture: Capua 1880, from Coca Cola plant to citrus essential oil production centre on the Strait of Messina.

Capua 1880 – Headquarters and Production Complex

Pellaro, Reggio Calabria (RC)

Info

Location
Reggio Calabria (RC)

Client
Capua 1880 Srl

Chronology
Project: 2018 – 2019
Construction: 2021 – 2023

Area
11.000 sqm

Credits

Photography
Javier Callejas

Architecture Project & Artistic Direction
GEZA Architettura

Structural Design & Supervision of Works
A.r.en.a. Srl, Ing. Arena Giuseppe, Arch. Tommaso Melchini

Contractor
AET srl – Ing. Martino

Publications & Awards

Publications 

  • The Plan Mag. 155, July-August 2024
  • Domusweb, September 2024

Awards

  • Architizer A+Awards 2024 – Special Mention (Factories and Warehouses)

22_CAPUA1880_GEZA_photo credits Javier Callejas_LD

Calabrian coast, near the Strait of Messina: a Coca-Cola plant is chosen by Capua 1880, a leader in the production of citrus essential oils for the most renowned beauty and fashion brands, to expand its production space. The result is a project that transforms a disused area by creating a modern and sustainable production pole, in which nature becomes an integral part of the building and the panoramic view of Mount Etna, with its majestic profile, becomes a distinctive element and a direct connection with the landscape.

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A large system of new façades gathers, like an embrace, the old buildings and ideally connects them under a single suspended skin: a gesture of order, with a powerful communicative force. The design geometries suggested by the existing building reinterpret the rhythms of the old openings, proposing an alternation of materials that dialogue with each other in a succession of different and variable vertical backgrounds. Capua 1880 thus acquires a new image, transforming itself into a true landmark that integrates harmoniously with the surrounding context.

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20_CAPUA1880_GEZA_photo credits Javier Callejas_LD

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23_CAPUA1880_GEZA_photo credits Javier Callejas_LD
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