design dialogues with patrick jouin at pedrali's automated warehouse in bergamo, italy

designboom visits pedrali in bergamo, italy

Pedrali opened its doors of its production facilities and Headquarters in Bergamo, Italy, offering a glimpse into the Italian furniture company’s design journey. Housed under the now permanent Pedrali Pavilion by Michele de Lucchi (ADML), a design talk between curator and architect Luca Molinari and French designer Patrick Jouin kickstarted the day, followed by an insightful tour of the company’s offices, designed by Milanese architectural firm Park Associati. Our walk progressed from Pedrali’s 3D modelling processes to its cutting-edge production line, including a visit to the ‘Fili d’Erba’, the fully automated warehouse designed by CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti. The robots, skytrains, and self-steering shuttles coupled with the hands-on attention to quality emanates Pedrali’s ethos and dedication to traditional craftsmanship, sustainability, and adaptability.

under the now permanent pavilion, Pedrali hosts ‘Talking about Design’ with Italian architect and curator Luca Molinari, and French designer Patrick jouin | all images courtesy of Pedrali, © Filippo Romano

Talking about design 2024: Luca Molinari with Patrick jouin

As part of Pedrali’s ‘Talking about Design’ initiative, Luca Molinari, Italian architect and curator, hosted a conversation with Patrick Jouin, delving into the French designer‘s story. Born in 1967 in Nantes, France, Patrick graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle/ENSCI-les Ateliers in Paris in 1992. Early in his career, he worked under the artistic direction of Philippe Starck at Thomson multimedia. His big break came in 1998, after being discovered at SaloneSatellite, a historic event curated and founded by Marva Griffin, which launched the young designer’s successful journey. Not long after, Patrick Jouin’s path with Pedrali began when he met Monica and Giuseppe Pedrali, giving rise to a long-term collaboration with the first project being the Ester armchair (2013) for Alain Ducasse’s restaurant in London.

During the design talk, Marva Griffin, founder of SaloneSatellite, reflected on her early connection with Patrick: ‘I remember meeting Patrick Jouin in 1998, when he was still working for Philippe Starck. That was the year I started SaloneSatellite and this Parisian boy was one of the first young talents I reached out to. I remember he told me he drove from Paris to Milan and slept in his little FIAT for three days – and look at Patrick now! He’s an acclaimed worldwide-known designer/architect. The main objective of SaloneSatellite was to create a platform where the entire design industry, from furniture manufacturers to lighting producers, and from foreigners to Italians, would walk in, see this immense creativity and start relationships. I’m so grateful to people like Monica and Giuseppe (Pedrali) that recognize up-and-coming talent and embrace it with so much passion.’

Marva Griffin, founder of SaloneSatellite, reflecting on her early connection with Patrick during the design talk between the French designer and Italian architect and curator Luca Molinari

ester gets its lounge version in 2024

Patrick Jouin has established himself as a global design force, working across industrial design and the decorative arts. His collaboration with Pedrali is rooted in a shared commitment to innovation, leading to complete furniture collections of chairs, tables, stools, sofas, and armchairs, including Ester, Social, Reva, Elliot, Héra, and Ila – so far! His works compliment Pedrali’s dream-like environments, pastel-palette surfaces, and highly expressive designs.

‘The Ester armchair marked the beginning of my collaboration with the family business in 2013. After meeting with Monica and Giuseppe (Pedrali), we started thinking about creating a seat for Alain Ducasse’s Michelin-starred Dorchester restaurant in London – hence the name Ester. Thanks to Monica and Giuseppe’s support and their incredible foresight, the armchair evolved into a full collection, including a chair, stool, pouf, and, in 2024, the lounge version,’ explained French designer and architect, Patrick Jouin.

Patrick Jouin’s Ester armchair that marked the start of his collaboration with Pedrali

‘pedrali’s suggestions INSPIRE ENTIRELY NEW PRODUCTS’

Among Patrick’s collections, the Reva line stands out for its smooth lines and elegant frames, featuring a three-seater sofa and lounge armchair with removable cushions. Reva grows and ‘twists’ in 2022 with its characteristic polypropylene chords that wrap around the steel back and armrests. Additionally, designed in three die-cast aluminium legs and three-lobed extruded aluminium column, the Elliot table balances functionality, versatility and an elegant appearance. Materiality shifts from metal and polypropylene to a woven cellulose cording and ash structure for the Héra Straw chair. Familiar to the qualities of wood, Patrick Jouin creates a seat with oval-shaped legs that are fully integrated into the backrest, to visually recall a wooden sculpture.

‘I don’t begin sketching without first knowing the material; materials influence my designs deeply. Coming from a family of carpenters, I learned the value of quality craftsmanship from my grandfather, who passed down the knowledge through generations. What I admire about Pedrali is that they share this appreciation for materials, often offering suggestions that inspire entirely new products,’ expressed the designer, touching on Pedrali’s approach to materiality.

The design talk was followed by a visit to the company’s Headquarters, designed and led by Milanese architectural firm Park Associati. From the very name – Pedrali Collaborative Space – it is clear that the guiding principle behind the design was to create a contemporary, dynamic and flexible workspace, developed through the modulation of a layout that focuses on the comfort of the people. The result is a mix of functional areas that serve as a setting for Pedrali products which are displayed and used in perfect harmony with the architectural volume thanks to the refined selection of models, fabrics and colours. Divided into three main areas – the contemporary workspace with multiple workstations, the meeting areas and the breakout rooms – the office highlights the versatility of its designs, from the Polar chair with its moving lumbar support, designed by Jorge Pensi, to the modular Toa table by Robin Rizzini.

Pedrali’s Headquarter offices in Bergamo by Milanese architectural firm Park Associati | image © Ottavio Tomasini

The tour concluded with a visit to the fully automated warehouse, ‘Fili d’Erba,’ designed by CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti in 2016. The state-of-the-art facility can store 16,880 pallets of finished and semi-finished products, featuring endless corridors of shelves and advanced machinery where traditional Italian craftsmanship meets automated welding, steel bending, and precision pressure testing. Throughout the process, workers oversee quality checks to ensure that every product meets Pedrali’s high standards. From the outside, this huge machine is masked behind a playful series of aluminum extrusions in three shades of green – a prominent color in the factory throughout. The profiles, reminiscent of gigantic ‘grass blades,’ create a natural connection between the building and the surrounding landscape. The main façade faces south, opposite Pedrali’s main entrance, reacting to sunlight and adding an element of dynamic beauty to the warehouse’s design.

‘Fili d’Erba’ designed by CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti for Pedrali | © Filippo Romano

inside the company’s automated warehouse

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project info:

company: Pedrali | @pedralispa

design talk: ‘Talking about Design 2024′ with Luca Molinari and Patrick Jouin

pedrali pavilion design: AMDL CIRCLE and Michele De Lucchi | @micheledelucchi

pedrali collaborative space design: Park Associati | @park_associati

fili d’erba warehouse design:  CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti 

location: Bergamo, Italy