Italian design has always stood out for its creative dexterity and aesthetic sensitivity, its ability to combine craftsmanship and innovative processes, its focus on materials and the influence of local supply chains on production. Over time, these characteristics have allowed Italian design to combine the best economic, cultural and scientific qualities, making it one of the most appreciated symbols of Italy abroad.

The ability to project has always been the cornerstone of design. The Italian translation of the term ‘design’ is ‘progetto’ (project), a word that carries the notion of the future itself. Italian design has never been confined merely to the production of beautiful shapes, but has also focused on the ability to build relationships between products, services and users; this attitude has made Italian design intelligible and appreciated throughout the world. The Italian design movement was born in northern Italy between the two World Wars, more precisely in Lombardy, where a few young designers and architects – Franco Albini, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Vico Magistretti – began to create objects with a new and contemporary touch that combined functionality and beauty. This is how some of the icons of Italian excellence in international design were born.

The average annual revenue growth for Core Design companies over the last 10 years was 3.5%, with a 2.7% average increase in the number of employees over the same period.
There has been increase in the offering of design services in Piedmont over the last two decades with a few peak years in Core Design start-ups:

The distinctive element of Piedmontese interior design and furniture is its technological innovation, being able to dialogue with other industrial sectors present in Turin like aeronautics, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. The push for innovation and the use of advanced machinery came specifically from the aerospace industry and involved subcontracted suppliers in the sector. Innovation in Piedmontese interior can be seen through shapes, materials and the use of highly specialized types of moulds and machinery.

The city of Turin has seven universities and institutes offering advanced design courses to approximately 100,000 students: Università di Torino, Politecnico di Torino, Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti, IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, IAAD – Istituto di Arti Applicate e Design and Università del Piemonte Orientale. In the design sector the most important events are the Artissima Fair, the View Conference and Fest, the Torino City of Design event, Operae – Independent Design festival, and the Torino Fashion Week. Turin also hosts the Circolo del Design, a UN and UNESCO centre with the seats of the ILO, UNICRI, UNSSC and SIOI, as well as the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy, a World Heritage Site, and the Po Hills Biosphere Reserve, part of the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Program.

The concept of the Piedmontese house combines several souls, all united by their care for environments: the ability to bring together contemporary needs such as sustainability and energy efficiency with the use of low-impact natural materials is combined with lifestyle and design trends that put comfort, nature and leisure first. Piedmontese interior design materials feature a great tradition of metal working inherited from the aerospace and automotive industries, and among the iconic elements of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Piedmont, we find the union of tradition and innovation through the use of handmade bricks, with their materiality and high performance in terms of energy efficiency, acoustic comfort and reduced environmental impact.