Entering the Mazzucchelli 1849 office building is like diving into a story that blends industrial vision, innovation and design. At the entrance, the vibrant tiles produced by Domosic welcome us: tactile, colorful and so similar to ceramic that they could easily deceive the eye. But here, nothing is mere decoration, every material is the result of research, every surface tells a story.
This story is that of Domosic, a division of the company that existed in the 1950s and 1960s. Domosic represents a strategic initiative created by Mazzucchelli itself, with the aim of bringing its expertise in materials into the construction sector as well. The name alone speaks for itself: “Domo” evokes the idea of home, while “SIC” refers to Società Italiana Celluloide, a historic industrial branch of the group whose roots go back to the early decades of the twentieth century and which helped consolidate the company’s technical expertise in processing plastic materials.
Domosic’s polymer tiles are the natural evolution of a sensibility shaped by over a century of material exploration, a know-how rooted in polymer processing that found application in living spaces. In the 1950s and 1960s, the company began experimenting with new plastics, transforming itself into a true creative laboratory. This innovation took form precisely in the office building, inaugurated at the end of the 1950s and designed by architect Annibale Fiocchi, already a partner on the celebrated Olivetti Building in Milan. The building became a genuine testing ground for the aesthetic and technical potential of plastic materials. The decorative compositions created with Domosic tiles were assigned to a leading figure in Italian design: Marcello Nizzoli, architect, painter and designer of the iconic Olivetti typewriters. With Domosic, Nizzoli succeeded in combining Mazzucchelli’s chemical avant-garde with an artistic language that redefined the concept of interior furnishing.
The tiles are not simple surfaces: they are compositional elements conceived to engage in dialogue with architecture. Their shapes, ranging from squares and rectangles to lozenges, trapezoids, hexagons, Etruscan and Latin figures, allow for endless combinations, rhythmic patterns and plays of light. Each module contributes to building a visual landscape, where matter is not merely cladding but the expression of a design philosophy.
Enhancing this visual grammar even further is the color range, remarkable for both range and refinement: sophisticated shades such as Liberty green, carob brown, Matisse red, Charleston red and Moroccan green. Expanding the compositional possibilities was also the variety of finishes: glossy or satin surfaces capable of giving colors different nuances, iridescent reflections, and unexpected depth. A continuous dialogue between light, form and matter that turned every wall into a living work of art.
The qualities of Domosic claddings were exceptional, as demonstrated by their rapid installation and lightness. Polymer tiles, for example, weighed five or six times less than ceramic ones and could be installed in a third of the time. Added to this were their sound-dampening properties, insulation, precision, chromatic richness, dimensional stability, resistance to weathering and exceptional transformability.
But tiles were only part of the Domosic universe: the company also produced floor coverings, handrails and other elements for construction and interior design, all of which were used in the construction of the Mazzucchelli office building.
As for flooring, these products featured characteristics that fully met the needs of modern flooring solutions. The resilience of the material, for instance, allowed it to return energy, reducing fatigue for those walking on it thanks to energy recovery with each step and elastic rebound. From an acoustic standpoint, they ensured quietness by significantly reducing footstep noise and eliminating creaking, thanks to their strong sound-insulating properties. Insulation was guaranteed by low thermal and electrical conductivity values. Moreover, they ensured resistance and functional durability over time, as well as high standards of hygiene, since no dust formed and the resins used possessed bactericidal properties.
Domosic offering also included various types of resin tiles: polystyrene resin tiles were molded sheets of polystyrene slightly curved at the edges to provide rigidity, functioning as films to be applied over existing tiles.
Demonstrating the importance placed on quality, Domosic established training courses for installers, offering concrete support to those working with these innovative materials. This choice aligned perfectly with Mazzucchelli’s tradition, which had already shown particular attention to the training of collaborators and clients.
In an era when industry was seeking new paths, the furnishing elements produced by Domosic stand as proof that matter itself can tell stories, stories of vision, courage and a family that was able to transform plastic into culture, innovation, and everyday beauty.
