Mosca.Bianca Ceramic Workshop by AACM A Spatial Ode to Craft
Architects: AACM – Atelier Architettura Chinello Morandi
Area: 50 m²
Year: 2025
Project Team: Nicolò Chinello, Rodolfo Morandi
Photographs: Marco Lumini, Catalogo
Manufacturers: Bottega dell’Arte, Maripav Italia, Stealth Light, Terraformae, Viabizzuno
Client: Mosca Bianca Ceramics
Location: Padua, Italy
A Harmonious Fusion of Craft and Architecture
Nestled in the historic city of Padua, the Mosca.Bianca ceramic workshop, designed by AACM Atelier Architettura Chinello Morandi, is a poetic exploration of materiality, movement, and the ritual of creation. Spanning a compact 50 m², the space transcends its functional role as a ceramics studio, evolving into a scenographic environment where architecture narrates the journey of clay from raw matter to refined artistry.
Sculptural Ceiling & Transformable Altar: A Dynamic Spatial Choreography
The design’s centrepiece is a sculptural ceiling, twisting upward to draw the eye toward a zenithal light source, guiding movement and focus. Beneath it, a transformable altar serves as the workshop’s functional and symbolic core. When closed, it appears as a sleek, cantilevered monolith in okumé wood; when opened, it reveals integrated workstations, embodying the duality of tool and artifact. This interplay between fixed and flexible elements mirrors the iterative nature of ceramic craftsmanship.
Material Narrative: Rammed Earth & Reclaimed Waste
Sustainability is woven into the project’s DNA through rammed-earth plaster, a blend of clay and brick waste that echoes the cyclical nature of ceramics. Walls and ceilings bear the raw, textured finish of this composite, reinforcing the workshop’s ethos of reuse and material continuity. Even the hidden tools mounted on retractable metal blades behind textile curtains reflect a theatrical yet pragmatic approach, where function emerges only when needed.
Light as a Guiding Element
Lighting plays a pivotal role, with calibrated illumination accentuating the workspace while enhancing the drama of the sculptural forms. The interplay of shadows and highlights transforms the studio into a living gallery, where every ceramic piece is staged under an almost sacred glow.
Spatial Rhythm: Between Stillness and Motion
The layout is a deliberate composition of tension and fluidity. A diagonal axis threads through the space, linking key elements while the torqued ceiling creates a sense of upward momentum. This dynamic geometry ensures that the workshop feels neither static nor chaotic but orchestrated a stage for creation.
Conclusion: Where Craft Becomes Architecture
Mosca.Bianca is more than a workshop; it is a spatial manifesto of ceramic artistry. By embedding the rituals of making into its very structure through materiality, light, and transformative elements AACM crafts an environment that celebrates process over product. It stands as a testament to how architecture can elevate craft, turning utilitarian spaces into immersive, poetic experiences.
✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight
The Mosca.Bianca workshop masterfully intertwines architecture with ceramic craftsmanship, using sculptural forms and sustainable materials to create a space that feels both functional and ceremonial. While the design excels in aesthetic and symbolic depth, a deeper exploration of user interaction how artisans adapt to the transformable elements in daily practice could strengthen its practical critique. Nevertheless, the project’s bold materiality and dynamic spatial choreography set a compelling precedent for small-scale studios, proving that even modest spaces can embody profound narratives of craft and sustainability.
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