- 21 Sep 08, 03:20#66809
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
Ferrari, into the 21st century
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/9/21/lifefocus/2074949&sec=lifefocus
Tradition may not seem compatible with cutting edge technology unless your tradition is built on staying ahead of the pack.
WHILE the face of any automotive company is usually projected through its vehicles, there is of course the fact that behind every form lies the people who design and build them, as well as the facilities where they are born from.
In most cases, little attention is paid to what happens behind the scenes, so it is quite refreshing to be reminded now and then of how cars come to be.
So it is with a company like Ferrari, whose name conjures up visions of breathtakingly sleek, sexy forms.
There is, of course, much more to it than just that, as a trip to the home of the famous brand, Maranello, revealed.
Naturally, it was the promise of being able to catch the company’s latest creation, the F149, better known as the California, which was the main draw card.
It was inescapable, really, that the focus would centre on a car, but as it turned out, there was little of the vehicle €“ which makes its official debut early next month at the Paris Motor Show €“ to be seen, save for test mules.
Nonetheless, there was plenty to be gained in getting a closer look at the company’s workings and the corporate philosophy it has in place, as well as how it has gone about gearing up for the future.
This then, was the premise of the Formula Uomo 2008 programme, which set about explaining how the company has effectively gone about modernising itself in the past decade.
The advancements, which began when the programme was initialised in 1997, have been divided into several different sections: working environment, layout of the Ferrari “village”, focus on safety, environmental awareness and energy saving, and employee and family services.
Money has certainly been spent €“ over 200 million euros (RM1bil) has been invested in new architectural projects over the last 10 years, with the aim of making for a better working environment and improved efficiency.
The result is seven new buildings, starting with the Galleria Del Vento (wind tunnel) in 1997. Located near the main entrance to the facility, Renzo Piano’s creation is a noticeable standout, the tubular-shaped form a visually imposing sight that greets you when you first arrive.
This was followed by the 15,000 sq m Lavorazioni Meccaniche Motori (mechanical workshop) in 2001, which provides machining of eight and 12-cylinder motor components done through 15 work areas.
Then came the Nuova Logistica-GES (New Logistics) cylindrical-shaped hangar in 2003, designed by Luigi Sturchio. Located within the confines of Fiorano, the airship-like facility is the logistics centre for all racing-related activities.
In 2004, two more buildings came about €“ the Padiglione Verniciatura (Paint Shop) and Centro Sviluppo Prodotto (Product Development Centre). The former is where pre-treating and body frame/bodywork painting is carried out, and the latter is the research and design centre.
The latest two buildings in terms of working environment to be constructed were completed and inaugurated this year. These are the Ristorante Aziendale (Company Restaurant), designed by Marco Visconti and the Nuove Linee Di Montaggio (New Car Assembly Lines), designed by Jean Nouvel, winner of this year’s internationally prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The former, a three-level complex of glass and corrugated steel skin shaped along the sectional lines of a helicopter blade with a covered piazza on it, is located at the very heart of the Ferrari village. As its name suggests, it is a restaurant with a cafeteria that can serve 3,400 meals a day, but beyond that is a place where employees can meet and socialise, as well as relax during their breaks.
The Ristorante Aziendale
The New Car Assembly Lines is the second new addition to the site. Every single work station in this 21,000 sq m building has been designed to improve work quality by reducing worker movement and enhancing ergonomics in a climate-controlled environment that guarantees comfortable working conditions all year round.
The design form here has a strong focus on colours, transparency and brightness, as well as a high green factor accomplished through a host of microgardens within the building as well as outside it. The building is surrounded by large windows that open onto a green area featuring the historic red-painted wall of the facility built by Enzo Ferrari in the 1960s, and walking within the confines of the place revealed it to be very unlike what you’d perceive an assembly line to be.
The Nuova Logistica-GES
On hand to present the latest phase of the programme were the company’s president, Luca di Montezemolo and its CEO, Amedeo Felisa.
“Excellence is the driving force behind all of Ferrari’s activities,” di Montezemolo said. “We intend to create a working environment where safety and environmental protection coexist in harmony in facilities designed and constructed with the workers’ needs in mind, a pleasant working environment in which to use their skills and express their creativity, in which safety and environmental awareness are priorities.”
“With the addition of these two new buildings,” di Montezemolo added, “we have completed the renovation of the entire Car Production Area that began in the late 1990s. Next year we will be going one step further when we begin work on the new GES facility.”
As for environmental protection and energy savings, Felisa introduced two latest projects that have been embarked upon: a photovoltaic system and a trigeneration plant.
The new energy generations plants will allow Ferrari to cut the amount of electricity it takes from the national grid by 25% and to reduce CO2 emissions by 35%. By the end of this year the company will have saved tens of tonnes of emission, he said.
“This emphasis on environmental awareness has also led to the extension of the green areas both inside and outside the company buildings. Thus far we have planted over 1,000 trees along the central boulevard and the streets that open off it.
“The overall objective of this urban planning project is to provide pedestrian walkways and cart routes for production services. Also, a series of shelters will be added soon in which over 100 bikes will be parked for employees to use for moving around the campus.”
The next phase of renewal will be with the Gestione Sportiva Area, located between the Ferrari plant and the Fiorano track.
A new complex comprising production, assembly and engine testing shops, technological centres and administrative offices centred on the company’s Formula 1 core activities has been planned.
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/9/21/lifefocus/2074949&sec=lifefocus
Tradition may not seem compatible with cutting edge technology unless your tradition is built on staying ahead of the pack.
WHILE the face of any automotive company is usually projected through its vehicles, there is of course the fact that behind every form lies the people who design and build them, as well as the facilities where they are born from.
In most cases, little attention is paid to what happens behind the scenes, so it is quite refreshing to be reminded now and then of how cars come to be.
So it is with a company like Ferrari, whose name conjures up visions of breathtakingly sleek, sexy forms.
There is, of course, much more to it than just that, as a trip to the home of the famous brand, Maranello, revealed.
Naturally, it was the promise of being able to catch the company’s latest creation, the F149, better known as the California, which was the main draw card.
It was inescapable, really, that the focus would centre on a car, but as it turned out, there was little of the vehicle €“ which makes its official debut early next month at the Paris Motor Show €“ to be seen, save for test mules.
Nonetheless, there was plenty to be gained in getting a closer look at the company’s workings and the corporate philosophy it has in place, as well as how it has gone about gearing up for the future.
This then, was the premise of the Formula Uomo 2008 programme, which set about explaining how the company has effectively gone about modernising itself in the past decade.
The advancements, which began when the programme was initialised in 1997, have been divided into several different sections: working environment, layout of the Ferrari “village”, focus on safety, environmental awareness and energy saving, and employee and family services.
Money has certainly been spent €“ over 200 million euros (RM1bil) has been invested in new architectural projects over the last 10 years, with the aim of making for a better working environment and improved efficiency.
The result is seven new buildings, starting with the Galleria Del Vento (wind tunnel) in 1997. Located near the main entrance to the facility, Renzo Piano’s creation is a noticeable standout, the tubular-shaped form a visually imposing sight that greets you when you first arrive.
This was followed by the 15,000 sq m Lavorazioni Meccaniche Motori (mechanical workshop) in 2001, which provides machining of eight and 12-cylinder motor components done through 15 work areas.
Then came the Nuova Logistica-GES (New Logistics) cylindrical-shaped hangar in 2003, designed by Luigi Sturchio. Located within the confines of Fiorano, the airship-like facility is the logistics centre for all racing-related activities.
In 2004, two more buildings came about €“ the Padiglione Verniciatura (Paint Shop) and Centro Sviluppo Prodotto (Product Development Centre). The former is where pre-treating and body frame/bodywork painting is carried out, and the latter is the research and design centre.
The latest two buildings in terms of working environment to be constructed were completed and inaugurated this year. These are the Ristorante Aziendale (Company Restaurant), designed by Marco Visconti and the Nuove Linee Di Montaggio (New Car Assembly Lines), designed by Jean Nouvel, winner of this year’s internationally prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.
The former, a three-level complex of glass and corrugated steel skin shaped along the sectional lines of a helicopter blade with a covered piazza on it, is located at the very heart of the Ferrari village. As its name suggests, it is a restaurant with a cafeteria that can serve 3,400 meals a day, but beyond that is a place where employees can meet and socialise, as well as relax during their breaks.
The Ristorante Aziendale
The New Car Assembly Lines is the second new addition to the site. Every single work station in this 21,000 sq m building has been designed to improve work quality by reducing worker movement and enhancing ergonomics in a climate-controlled environment that guarantees comfortable working conditions all year round.
The design form here has a strong focus on colours, transparency and brightness, as well as a high green factor accomplished through a host of microgardens within the building as well as outside it. The building is surrounded by large windows that open onto a green area featuring the historic red-painted wall of the facility built by Enzo Ferrari in the 1960s, and walking within the confines of the place revealed it to be very unlike what you’d perceive an assembly line to be.
The Nuova Logistica-GES
On hand to present the latest phase of the programme were the company’s president, Luca di Montezemolo and its CEO, Amedeo Felisa.
“Excellence is the driving force behind all of Ferrari’s activities,” di Montezemolo said. “We intend to create a working environment where safety and environmental protection coexist in harmony in facilities designed and constructed with the workers’ needs in mind, a pleasant working environment in which to use their skills and express their creativity, in which safety and environmental awareness are priorities.”
“With the addition of these two new buildings,” di Montezemolo added, “we have completed the renovation of the entire Car Production Area that began in the late 1990s. Next year we will be going one step further when we begin work on the new GES facility.”
As for environmental protection and energy savings, Felisa introduced two latest projects that have been embarked upon: a photovoltaic system and a trigeneration plant.
The new energy generations plants will allow Ferrari to cut the amount of electricity it takes from the national grid by 25% and to reduce CO2 emissions by 35%. By the end of this year the company will have saved tens of tonnes of emission, he said.
“This emphasis on environmental awareness has also led to the extension of the green areas both inside and outside the company buildings. Thus far we have planted over 1,000 trees along the central boulevard and the streets that open off it.
“The overall objective of this urban planning project is to provide pedestrian walkways and cart routes for production services. Also, a series of shelters will be added soon in which over 100 bikes will be parked for employees to use for moving around the campus.”
The next phase of renewal will be with the Gestione Sportiva Area, located between the Ferrari plant and the Fiorano track.
A new complex comprising production, assembly and engine testing shops, technological centres and administrative offices centred on the company’s Formula 1 core activities has been planned.
Gilles Villeneuve: If someone said to me that you can have three wishes, my first would have been to get into racing, my second to be in Formula 1, my third to drive for Ferrari.
