Signals & Stats : Daily Signals

Jewel in Bulgari’s crown

By Rhiannon McGregor 23 : 03 : 2017 Bulgari : Italy : Whole-system Thinking

Piedmont, Italy – Bulgari has opened the largest jewellery factory in Europe, designed to achieve environmentally friendly certification.

It is predicted that Manifattura Bulgari will create 300 new jobs by 2020
The new building was designed by architecture and engineering firm Open Project

Manifattura Bulgari by Open Project, Piedmont

Designed to sit unobtrusively in the Piedmontese landscape, the factory is made up of two separate buildings – one the historic Cascina dell’Orefice and the other a newly constructed edifice known as the Glass House.

The architects, Open Project, conceived the scheme as a way of tapping into Bulgari’s history as a trusted manufacturer of luxury goods, while also positioning the brand as an innovator of sustainable jewellery production. The building, which will soon be given Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, has been built using materials that have a low environmental impact, integrating solar power, water filtration and reclamation.

As well as a 14,000-square-metre factory floor, the space integrates the new Bulgari Jewellery Academy, which will train a new generation of jewellery artisans.

The Big Picture

While luxury fashion brands including Kering have long embraced Whole-system Thinking, sustainable jewellery production has largely been restricted to smaller, niche brands. Bulgari’s large-scale commitment marks a significant shift in mindset.