The Group at the Sustainability Forum of Il Sole 24 Ore: ceramics that regenerate the territory

On the occasion of the Forum Sostenibilità del Sole 24 Ore, one of the most important events in Italy on ESG topics held at the Auditorium della Tecnica in Rome, Marazzi Group presented a project that brings together business, architecture, and the environment: the Sassuolo Parco Lineare, an urban regeneration project that transforms an industrial wall into a green barrier between the factory and the city.
The general manager Leonardo Tavani and architect Dario Costi (Studio MC2 AA), in conversation with journalist Gianluca Dotti from Il Sole 24 Ore, explained how the project has become a symbol of sustainability and connection with the local area.

90 years in the heart of Sassuolo

Gianluca Dotti: Director Tavani, Marazzi turns 90 this year. You were born and raised in Sassuolo, a city that identifies with you and that you have helped to transform. How has this relationship with the local area evolved?

Tavani: We are a company born in Sassuolo, today present in 146 countries but still deeply tied to this area. It all began in the 1930s, when our founder Filippo Marazzi, who ran a grocery store in the city center, saw the potential of ceramics not only as a functional material, but as an expression of beauty, innovation, and development for the community.
From that first factory, a solid story was born, made of growth, work, and strong roots.

Over time, this bond has grown stronger and today finds new form in the Sassuolo linear park, a concrete act of urban regeneration and connection between industry and the local area through a green barrier.
To honor our roots, this year we also restored the Drogheria Roteglia, where it all began: a symbolic space that tells the story of where we come from and who we are. The linear park, together with this restoration, represents the continuity between Marazzi’s origins and its vision for the future.

Turning a wall into a garden

Gianluca Dotti: Architect Costi, how did the project come about and what does it mean for Sassuolo and the ceramics district?

Costi: The project was born from a dialogue with Marazzi, as part of a broader study on urban and environmental regeneration of the ceramics district. When we started thinking about the relationship between the factory and the city, the idea emerged to transform the perimeter wall of the company into a linear park.
It is a simple but revolutionary gesture: demolishing a concrete wall and replacing it with an urban garden nearly a kilometer long means changing the face and perception of an entire neighborhood.

The project has several objectives: promoting the renaturalization of the soil, improving air quality, absorbing rainwater, and giving the community back a place for interaction and well-being.
Thousands of plants create a natural barrier that reduces noise and fine dust, while the new lightweight fence redefines the boundary between industry and the city in a more harmonious way.

We were also inspired by the work of the great photographer Luigi Ghirri, who in the 1980s described Marazzi ceramics as the “backdrop of life.” Today, the large ceramic slabs suspended among the greenery revive that poetic vision, becoming the symbol of a new balance between nature, art, and industry.

A project that has already won over the community

Gianluca Dotti: How did the city react to this transformation?

Costi: With enthusiasm. Those who live close to the production site now leave their homes and see a park instead of a wall: it’s a change that has an immediate impact on the well-being and pride of the neighborhood.
There is a spontaneous and positive participation: people stop, stroll, watch the plants grow, talk with those working on the project. It demonstrates that sustainability, when it is visible and shared, generates trust and a sense of belonging.

Sustainability as corporate culture

Gianluca Dotti:: Director Tavani, the park is a concrete symbol, but sustainability at Marazzi is part of a broader commitment. How do you interpret it in your daily work?

Tavani: For us, sustainability is not a separate project, but a structural part of our identity. It is a way of thinking and acting that involves people, processes, and the local area.
We seek to turn principles and values into tangible actions that can create real and lasting value.

In the 16th Sustainability Report of the Mohawk Industries group, we describe a concrete journey: the Terramater collection, made with 60% recycled material; a 26% increase in training hours for employees; the Peopleness program, dedicated to people’s well-being; the growing use of renewable energy and the Top Employers recognition for the ninth consecutive year.
These results show how innovation and responsibility can coexist, generating value for the company and for the community.

For Marazzi, sustainability is also about collaboration: we work with institutions, partners, and citizens, because only by building together can we give strength to the future. The linear park is proof of this: a project born from dialogue between the public and private sectors, which brings together architecture, landscape, and participation.

A place to enjoy all year round

Gianluca Dotti:: When will the park be completed and how will it be accessible to the city?

Costi: The park is already partially accessible and will be completed by next year. It was designed to change with the seasons, with plantings that change color and shape throughout the year.
Among the ceramic installations and the greenery, it will become a place to observe and experience the neighborhood in a new way.

Tavani: The project is already changing the face of the area: the street is livelier, people stop, walk, pick flowers, looking at a garden instead of a wall. It is concrete proof of how an architectural act can regenerate a neighborhood and create a new sense of belonging.

Watch the interview video.