Creating a perfect synergy between history, art and innovation, CROMATICA - Marcegaglia Steel, Marcegaglia Buildtech and Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo have given life to an extraordinary project:
the customisation of the permanent panelling envelope built to allow ordinary maintenance of the Milan Cathedral. This project added value to a functional space - as a genuine tribute to the timeless beauty of the most iconic cathedral in Italy.
As stated by Andrea Brotini, Sales Director of CROMATICA, «We are faced with a project that enhances the beauty of the Milan Cathedral. Thanks to the CROMATICA panels, every detail of the historic marble used for the Duomo façade comes to life before your very eyes: technology is put at the service of art to create something unique.»
The project required the creation, at the Ravenna-based Marcegaglia factory, of 80 panels printed to become perfectly camouflaged with the wall of the Cathedral. In the words of Antonio Bonoli, Director of Coil Coating Production Marcegaglia, «The Milan Cathedral site has finally given us the opportunity to put into practice what we had thought, planned and dreamed up until then».
Each panel was the result of a thorough study of the Cathedral architecture, of a faithful photographic reproduction of the technical drawings and of synergistic work involving all the players concerned. «The project began when a photoplan of the Cathedral façade was received. By using high-precision graphics tools, we divided the entire façade into smaller portions and we made samples to identify the most appropriate colour shade for the implementation of the project",explains Alessandro Borromeo, QA/QC Engineer of Marcegaglia Buildtech.
With this innovative approach, CROMATICA and Marcegaglia Buildtech responded primarily to a functional need for durability and resistance to weathering. At the same time, they responded to another requirement of an aesthetic nature: to maintain the visual integrity of the Cathedral. «The Cathedral has always had temporary structures at its feet to contain and store the equipment and materials necessary for the daily maintenance of the building. – says Francesco Canali, an engineer who is the Site Director of Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo– Making the most of a photographic reproduction of the Cathedral's façade, obtained thanks to the innovative technology made available by CROMATICA - Marcegaglia Steel, today we are able to upgrade this extremely important structure".
This project is an excellent example of how a partnership between cutting-edge companies and historic institutions can effectively lead to the enhancement of our cultural heritage and of how, in the words of Salvatore Pisani, Marketing Director of CROMATICA , «even steel has unlimited creative potential, which can be rolled out to other artistic applications to make the world a more beautiful place.»
