At the international trade fair in Rome, architecture and design students are reimagining the secondary façades of buildings. Through strategic partnerships and technological innovation, steel is establishing itself as the new star of contemporary design.
The search for new architectural perspectives and the promotion of young talent come together in Rome. From 4 to 6 September 2026, against the iconic backdrop of The Cloud, Cromatica Marcegaglia will be one of the main characters in B-CAD Rome (International Construction, Architecture and Design Fair). The spotlight will be on Chromatic, the Group’s innovative technology capable of redefining the very concept of a metal surface through bespoke digital printing on steel and other metals.
B-Palace Art: the revitalisation of cities“ ”B-sides’
One of the key initiatives is the second edition of the competition B-Palace Art, organised in collaboration with Sandrini Metals. Aimed at students at universities and design and architecture academies, the competition invited future designers to work closely with materials and technical solutions to rethink the secondary façades of buildings.
The aim is as ambitious as it is fascinating: to transform the so-called “B-sides” of buildings — such as blind façades, side elevations and peripheral surfaces — into valuable opportunities for urban regeneration through the innovative use of steel cladding. Thanks to embossed patterns, original shapes, contoured profiles, perforations and special finishes, these surfaces can become new elements of aesthetic, cultural and identity value for our cities. This initiative reaffirms Cromatica’s commitment to fostering an ongoing dialogue between the academic and industrial worlds.
The selected students and the talks at La Nuvola
I The 10 best projects from the 2026 edition will be the focus of an exhibition held in the exhibition spaces of the Congress Centre, around the Nuvola. In addition to the exhibition, the 4 and 5 September 2026, the selected students will have the opportunity to present their work in person to an audience of industry professionals and design studios.
These presentations will form part of a packed programme of multidisciplinary talks organised as part of B-CAD, designed to explore in depth the crucial role of research, manufacturing expertise and technological innovation in the use of metal in contemporary architecture.
The panel of speakers who will be taking part over the two days is of the very highest calibre:
4 September (afternoon):
- Simone Riva, Architect and CMF Expert, together with Michele Cricco, Art Director and Lecturer in Graphic & Brand Design at NID (Nuovo Istituto Design);
- Alessandro Vaghi, Architect, Managing Director of MMA Projects;
- Roberta Colla, CEO, Visual Designer and Communications Director at SIMONE MICHELI ARCHITECTURAL HERO;
- Salvatore Pisani, Marketing Director at Marcegaglia;
- Viola Sarita Tadini, Head of Marketing and Communications at Sandrini Metalli.
5 September (morning):
- Antonia Ciampi, Artist and Lecturer in Decorative Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome;
- Gianpiero Alfarano, Professor of Design at the University of Florence;
- Emma Scolari, Architect, Managing Director of MMA Projects;
- Stefania Catastini (Architect and Senior Associate Partner) and Paolo Posarelli (Architect, CEO and Co-founder) at LDA.iMdA architects;
- Salvatore Pisani, Marketing Director at Marcegaglia;
- Agusti Ninou, Dipl. Ing., Head of the TIGITAL Business Unit.
Partnerships, research and design
Metal is a durable material that can be recycled indefinitely and reused. These qualities, combined with the flexibility of Cromatica, offer designers unprecedented tools for combining creativity, technical performance and a focus on the life cycle of materials.
At the Cromatica exhibition space, visitors will be able to discover how this technology is applied across a wide range of sectors: from building envelopes to interior design, right through to residential and industrial construction and the contract sector. As evidence of this success, a number of strategic partnerships will be showcased:
- Steel Dress: a brand of kitchen backsplashes and panels for dynamic walls, launched in collaboration with KalaMitica Magnetic System (a company specialising in vertical displays). The combination of digital printing and magnetic accessories makes the metal surface dynamic, interactive and fully customisable.
- B&D Home: a company that interprets Italian design through furniture collections in which steel enhances the quality of craftsmanship and aesthetic innovation.
- Axia: a collaboration focused on the contract sector, featuring bespoke furnishings, notably including products from the collection designed by Simone Micheli: Architectural Hero.
- Nieder: a partnership that brings the system to the trade fair Wavin (corrugated metal panels designed to transform façades and interiors into dynamic, three-dimensional surfaces) and the chair Lunatica, which had already been a huge hit at Milan Design Week 2026.
The vision: metal takes centre stage
The person outlining the company’s current situation and future prospects is Salvatore Pisani, Head of Marketing at Marcegaglia: «Cromatica was created to expand the expressive possibilities of metal, and the partnerships we are presenting at B-CAD are concrete proof of this. By collaborating with companies, designers and specialist organisations, we have succeeded in bringing this technology to various sectors, creating innovative products in which metal is no longer merely a technical material, but takes centre stage in design, interior design and architecture. At the same time, through B-Palace Art, we are pursuing an equally important objective: to offer space and visibility to the new generations of designers. We believe that young people can help to envision cities that are more attuned to the needs and sensibilities of the future, transforming spaces that are currently marginal into opportunities of aesthetic, social and cultural value. We hope that their ideas will become a source of inspiration for public authorities, professionals and private clients, fostering the development of concrete urban regeneration projects.»
The Marcegaglia Group Based in Gazoldo degli Ippoliti (Mantua), the Marcegaglia Group is one of the leading players in the steel industry and the undisputed world leader in steel processing. Founded in 1959 by Steno Marcegaglia, the group is now led by Antonio and Emma Marcegaglia. The figures illustrate its scale: 7,800 employees, 36 production sites spread across four continents, 6.5 million tonnes of finished products and a turnover which reached 7.5 billion euros in 2024. For further information: https://cromatica.marcegaglia.com/
