Donghia and Bergamo are two well known luxury brands in the furnishings and fabrics industry. Each firm has an illustrious history and portfolio of products that have been favorites within the design community. Both companies are now owned by Rubelli of Italy who has merged their operations.

When CONANT ARCHITECTS was asked to design the new headquarters, the combined organization had not been formed. Therefore work began with a dynamic “Ideation Session” to crystallize and clarify the goals and nature of this merged operation. A conceptual picture immerged with regard to what the business and headquarters could be.

The architecture needed to reflect a progressive open culture while maintaining a strong sense of history and stature in the industry. An old factory in Mount Vernon, NY was selected as the appropriate raw material with which to begin. The building had been neglected for many years and required a full renovation including windows and mechanical systems. The addition of work, studio, meeting and relaxation areas was accomplished, while opening the space to allow natural daylight and generous circulation areas to connect the various functions.

The old loading dock with its double height space was selected to as the main point of arrival. Rough columns of long leaf yellow pine were sandblasted and coated with boiled linseed oil. A new staircase leads to the main business floor, through a two story opening viewed from the company café.