12 October. Rinascente. Roma

Rinascente’s new flagship store in Roma was opened on 12 October in via del Tritone. CMB has been responsible for the restoration of the historic building situated between via del Tritone and via dei Due Macelli. The work has involved the total demolition of the existing buildings while preserving the facades, which were, instead renovated.

Besides an atrium of monumental geometric rigor, the peculiarities of the building are the conservation of a palace dating from the beginning of the 20th century and forming part of the original complex that had a “building in a building” effect and two panoramic terraces and 60 m of the Acquedotto Vergine (Roman Aqueduct) from the 1^st century AD. The completion of the department store was, in fact, slowed down by the discovery of structures from the Imperial Roman era which led to a delay of around two years compared to the initial program, but which today further enhances the site; these structures can be seen on the basement floor.

The Mayor, Virginia Raggi, and the President of the Lazio Region, Nicola Zingaretti, were present at the opening ceremony, the latter expressing “immense gratitude for an initiative that, rather than commercial, is most of all cultural: what has counted is the tenacity of those who have believed in this project”. The chairman of Rinascente, Vittorio Radice, defined the store a meeting place “not a fashion store, but a space that is always open, a symbol of the habits and climate of Rome”.

15 November. FICO Eatalyworld. Bologna

CMB has been involved in the development of FICO, the acronym of Fabbrica Italiana Contadina since February 2015, for the creation of a new Italian agri-food theme park. Arising out of the redevelopment of the CAAB (Centro Agroalimentare di Bologna) area, the project first dealt with the development of the New Market Area, which from April 2016 houses CAAB licensees, so as to free up and redevelop the areas to be dedicated to FICO.
With an overall surface area of 100 thousand sq.m., of which 80 thousand are covered, FICO is organized around thematic farms, with experimental fields of crops and grazing areas for farming animals. In the interior spaces there are visible laboratories, separate from the public by windows, six didactic areas and more than forty restaurants and bars, all representative of the variety and excellence of the Italian wine-food culture. Linking the various areas are both footpaths and cycle paths inside the building.

The reconversion of the nucleus of the general facilities of the Conference Centre began in January 2017: 4,000 sq.m. connected to FICO via a foyer made of continuous glass and furnished to house visitors to the park and guide them towards the new auditorium, with an architectural design created with 2 ornamental tanks of 700 sq.m. of surface area and by 19 m. high totem poles. The auditorium will house from 50 to 1,000 people, thanks to moveable walls that make it possible to divide the area into three halls.

The project’s attention towards sustainability is seen in the photovoltaic system covering the structures, today the most extensive in Europe. In addition, the entire management of the building site has been characterized by the eco-sustainable impact aspect: there has been no cementation, but rather, green areas have been created. CMB has introduced a new conception, which looks at the overall sustainability of the building site system, from worker safety to the impact on the surrounding environment.

16 November. Acquisition of Arcoservizi Spa

As part of the program of development in the facility management sector, CMB has acquired Arcoservizi Spa: a modern multi-utility company with a turnover of around 20 million euros and around 50 employees. The company operates in the residential and tertiary market, in heating and energy management, in the design, installation and operation of technological and air-conditioning systems, and in contracts for the supply of fossil fuels and methane.
Arcoservizi, moreover, is an Energy Service Company (ESCO), UNI CEI 11352 certified and structured to carry out energy improvement work in buildings following the project in every phase: financing, construction and management.
The acquisition of Arcoservizi, besides guaranteeing an immediate growth in turnover in the facility management area, offers interesting potential for development in new markets where CMB is currently not present. The aim is to focus activities towards middle and large-size property owners, starting from those for which CMB has carried out or is currently executing construction works; own properties, put on sale with a multi-year undertaking for the free execution of system maintenance and operation services; the public heat management and energy efficiency market, alongside and in synergy with CMB. The business plan currently being drawn up forecasts a doubling of turnover for Arcoservizi in the next five years, with interesting margins generating cash flows sufficient to ensure the self-financing of the company.

30 November. CityLife Shopping District. Milan

While the Torre Hadid is practically finished and only the internal finishings on the top floors are still to be completed, only a few days remain before the opening of the immense commercial podium situated at the base of the skyscraper and developed to the design of the “Zaha Hadid Architects Studio”. With a surface area of 32,000 sq.m., it is a 3-floor Shopping center with seven cinemas, 13 restaurants, in a futuristic maxi-structure made of slanting lines, twists and rotations that characterize the style of the Iraqi star architect who died last year. The heart of the development remains the spacious multi-level gallery entirely covered in wooden panels. The CityLife Shopping District is set to become the largest shopping center in Italy today, able to welcome a catchment public of around 700,000 people.