S.Pellegrino's new home is starting its journey

27^th September was a historic day for S.Pellegrino as the first stone of the highly-anticipated new factory of the future was laid. The event kicked off with a national press conference in the presence of prominent local authority representatives with speeches by CEO of Sanpellegrino Federico Sarzi Braga, Danish award-winning architect, Bjarke Ingels and Mayor of San Pellegrino Terme, Vittorio Millesi.

“Today we lay the first stone that will officially launch us towards the factory of the future", stated Sarzi Braga “It’s an amazing collaboration of design and innovation capable of attracting tourists from all over the world. The philosophy behind the creation of the new structure truly represents the values of the brand and the commitment of our ‘Made in Italy’ ambassador company. It’s a fitting tribute to an extraordinary and enduring asset like S.Pellegrino mineral water; generating shared value in the communities where we operate and improving the quality of the working environment for our people”.

“At S.Pellegrino, we believe in creating shared values and social responsibility”, added Sarzi Braga. “As part of this mindset, we focus on three key areas. The ‘factory of the future’ should be a people-centred one, operating on a human scale and making employees the top priority. In addition, we want to put the community at the heart of what we do; to celebrate and be proud of the local area. In this way, the San Pellegrino factory offers an exceptional marketing opportunity. By inviting international guests through a stimulating Visitor Centre that promotes the local area and its water resources, we hope to engage visitors in Val Brembana's culture”.

The S.Pellegrino factory of the future bears the signature of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group); the internationally renowned architecture firm synonymous with excellence and more than twenty impressive designs including: VIA 57 West building in New York, the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Shanghai Expo Danish Pavilion.

The design of S.Pellegrino factory of the future was developed along contemporary lines, remodelling the existing historical liberty tradition. It echoes the timeless dips and curves of the surrounding mountains and bridges that distinguish the evocative Brembana valley, while seamlessly integrating into the landscape.

The vision of S.Pellegrino's new factory of the future centres on intelligent design, innovation and production, with an immersive experience that will welcome visitors from all over the world.

“Crucial for S.Pellegrino is the complete integration into nature” said Bjarke Ingels. “In one way, while you can see and appreciate this new and very contemporary addition to the Brembo Valley, somehow you also feel as if it has always been here.  And I hope that is how it will feel for years to come”.

The project, which involves the territories of San Pellegrino Terme and Zogno, is also the result of the strong, collaborative relationship between the Sanpellegrino Group and the local communities.

“The initiative allows us to revisit the history of S.Pellegrino spanning 120 years, which largely coincides with the finest historical period of our small town” said the Mayor of San Pellegrino Terme, Vittorio Millesi. “The relationship between San Pellegrino Terme and S.Pellegrino has always been positive and clearly focused on benefitting the local region. For us, our relationship continues to be important and this superb initiative to redesign the factory is destined to become a tourist attraction”.

The project is scheduled for completion by 2022 and cost will €90million. The investment will be used to improve production and logistics capabilities as well as redesigning and increasing the capacity of the factory.

How it all began

S.Pellegrino’s new home began its journey in 2016 when four of the world’s top architects pitched their ideas to build the factory of the future. BIG’s proposal successfully met the selection criteria by combining a strong artistic vision with environmental compliance.

The new factory will stand proudly among the changing seasons of the valley, beginning a new chapter for the world’s most famous sparkling water which has been bottled there for the past 120 years. Don’t forget to keep your eye on developments with updates from #SanPellegrinoNewHome to see S.Pellegrino’s impressive new home come to life.