The fluidity of tailor-made design

"Fluidity: this very term is increasingly at the center of contemporary design research, which seeks to interpret and explore materials traditionally found in other fields."

Fabrizio Milesi, art director and designer at Ciam, introduces one of the cornerstones of the brand's vision and production: customization. This value has become one of the company's key hallmarks, drawing on its extensive experience to transform and shape its products as if they were organic matter, adapting them to the project in terms of aesthetics and dimensions, without compromising on technical or functional aspects.

This commitment translates into a comprehensive collaboration with the architectural firms and professionals who use Ciam products, and sees the company increasingly expand its material offerings and research into unconventional elements to meet and bring to life any design fantasy.

This ongoing evolutionary stimulus, fueled by creative exchanges between the entities involved, is an inexhaustible treasure trove from which to draw to develop innovative solutions and explore uncharted territory. "The osmosis between different cultures and worlds creates alchemy capable of generating new sensorial stimuli for form and function," Milesi continues. "Many materials originally conceived for industrial applications now applied to design find new forms of beauty, imbued with unexpected aesthetic and functional value."

Proof of this is the latest project conceived and realized for Milan Design Week 2021. "It is precisely through this vision," Milesi continues, "that I encountered Matteo Brioni and his exclusive research on raw earth, envisioning it as the new surface for Table, the new custom system of refrigerated tables designed for CIAM."

A unique product characterized by a composition of different functions all on the same surface, and thanks to the brand's extensive customization capabilities, it abandons the concept of standardization, replacing it with that of a unique creation every time. "Table defines a new concept: it reinterprets the idea of ​​a counter that traditionally divides the operator from the customer with a logic of spatial separation," explains the designer.

"The table, on the other hand, through the suspended top and its functional dimensions, explores a new approach to sharing in the HoReCa sector, representing the functional element that invites you to lean on its surface and touch it. In this regard, I believe the choice of raw earth is ideal for conveying a sense of natural well-being to Table."

For Ciam, working alongside designers and providing them with excellent support means looking in the same direction and building horizons together. Custom production embodies this principle because it arises precisely from the desire to connect, respond, and seamlessly integrate with the project.

The customization experience conceived by Ciam, in fact, does not simply translate into a vast selection of finishes that expand the possibilities of adaptation, but into a tailor-made perspective, in which the product connects to the project like a seamless sartorial work, without visible breaks: being one with the context, that is what makes the difference.

Caffè Fernanda is a prime example of this approach of total dedication to the project as a whole: the counter is embellished with Canaletto walnut slats, the tops are burnished brass, the mirrored backsplash features brass tubing, and the wooden shelves feature built-in LED lighting.

Color and materiality are the philosophical and aesthetic pillars around which the space is constructed, bringing equal value to the visual and tactile levels—a fundamental characteristic for an ambitious space that elevates the experience of interaction to an element of exhibition art.

Even Rome's Caffè Doria, located on Via della Gatta and a historic landmark for visitors to the Doria Pamphilj Art Gallery, bears witness to Ciam's ability to delve deeply into a project, understanding and touching its soul, and shaping its products accordingly.

The use of Canaletto walnut returns in small strips for the cladding and is combined with polished Noir Desire porcelain stoneware countertops, with a satin-finish brass base. In the bar area, the FLAT P800 TS display cabinet with welded case is accompanied by a Compact back counter with painted doors and classic-style backlit mirrors; the two Murozero BT/TN cabinets are carefully clad in wood with side mirrors.

For Mangiarbene, the first luxury food hall of the Viander holding company, the project, curated by architect Alfio Barabani, led Ciam to experiment and create an elegant, welcoming atmosphere with a modernist and contemporary feel. The 6040 TSA horizontal counter, 1000 meters deep, features a matte black interior with stoneware paneling, complete with a cutting counter and a checkout counter with natural iron elements.

The three custom Murozero counters have a lowered height and feature the same matte black finish, but the true star of this extreme extension of customization potential is the oversized 4x4m custom Esclusive 74S cabinet, designed to display Mangiarbene's prized hams.

With Ciam, we witness the expansion of the term custom itself, taking on different and constantly evolving meanings and modalities, from the miniaturization of parts and functions on horizontal display cases to the glorification of spaces with oversized vertical display cases, reaching monumental proportions and a museum-like quality.

Ciam custom continues to offer an experience capable of revolutionizing the sense of space and the laws of physics, resonating with the project, and serving as the definitive tool in the hands of every architect.