Regenerative transformation: from Coca-Cola factory to production center of citrus essential oils in Reggio Calabria.

Capua1880, a Company producing citrus essential oils for the most authoritative companies in the world of beauty and cosmetics, decided in 2018 to redevelop a disused building, once the bottling plant of Coca-Cola, located on the Calabrian coast swept by the winds of the Strait of Messina.

This choice was motivated by the need to expand its production spaces and to introduce new lines for the extraction of essential oils, as well as to create new representative and hospitality environments for international clients.

From the outset, the company recognized the strong communicative potential of the regenerative intervention: the project developed by GEZA not only allowed the company to meet its needs for growth and innovation, but also represented an excellent opportunity to transform a disused area into a modern and sustainable production hub.

GEZA has devised a series of wide-ranging interventions aimed at providing a new and significant overall vision. These interventions stem from a careful reinterpretation and understanding of the client’s needs, with the aim of optimizing industrial flows within the site and structures. Starting from an existing condition characterized by a collection of annexed volumes, obsolete technologies, silos, and technical structures arranged unevenly throughout the area, GEZA has developed solutions with a strong visual impact, creating a harmonious and functional environment.

GEZA has brought a revolution to traditional concepts of Industrial Architecture, enriching them with additional values and sensitivity. In addition to functionality and efficiency, elements conveying transparency and connection with the surrounding environment have been introduced.

The decentralization of some technical and service functions has allowed for the creation of an important “green heart”, the orange tree patio, a surprising garden within the industrial complex: nature thus becomes an integral part of the building, infiltrating the interior spaces.

It’s not just the vegetation that establishes a dialogue with the architecture: the panoramic view of Mount Etna, with its majestic profile, becomes a distinctive element of the project, providing a direct connection to the landscape. Nature assumes a primary role, not only as an aesthetic element but also as a source of well-being for those who work and visit the site, creating a work and production environment that harmoniously merges with the surroundings.

Thanks to a reorganization of logistics and internal roads, a representative square has been created in front of the main facade of the building. The orange tree courtyard interacts with this square thanks to the visual permeability of the office building, which enjoys privileged views towards nature. This configuration gives the office environment a quality that reinterprets planning with concepts typical of living spaces, enhancing the perceived quality and well-being.

The project is further enriched by the design of a large system of new facades which, like an embrace, gather the old buildings and ideally connect them under a single suspended skin: a grand gesture of order, with powerful communicative force. The design geometries suggested by the existing building reinterpret the rhythms of the old openings, proposing an alteration of materials linked to tradition and beyond, which interact with each other in a succession of different and variable vertical backgrounds. Basalt, aluminum, corten steel, travertine, alpine green marble, and concrete harmonize to create a facade texture that varies throughout the day, enriching its expressive power.

The facade design is articulated by strong vertical elements: stone sunshades, black pilasters, corrugated sheets, black glass, and perforated metal skins, all bent to seek the shadows that the powerful Southern sun naturally casts with poetic beauty throughout the various hours of the day, gradually softening as the rays decline.

Capua1880 thus acquires a new image, transforming its building into a true landmark that harmoniously integrates with the surrounding context. The regeneration and restructuring project not only renew the exterior appearance of the building but also radically change its function and perception, becoming an emblem of innovation and future-oriented environmental responsibility.