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PARCO
RAASM
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A row of century-old trees marks the entrance way, a park of nearly 100,000 square metres where vast areas of grass alternate with woods, shrubs, ponds, streams and waterfalls. Roaming completely free amongst all this green and water are at least a hundred animals, including deer, storks, beautiful pink flamingos, crowned cranes, a pair of little kangaroos and a vain white peacock. Not the Garden of Eden, but the seat of a metallurgical and mechanical firm situated just outside Bassano del Grappa: RAASM. |
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lesser known side to that entrepreneurial North-East of Italy usually
described as a place where the race for business and money has stifled
old values. Values, however, that are strongly felt by Giovanni Menon,
the entrepreneur who in the mid-Seventies created Raasm, the firm specialized
in lubrication equipment and a leader in this sector. Describing his company as an industrial complex would be difficult, as this would risk damaging the classic image of sheds, loading yards, and situations far away from this reality. In fact Raasm is an establishment where the productive activity has no more weight than the natural landscape dimension of its surroundings. |
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nature surroundings the town has been brought inside the factory, creating
inside the industrial area a complex and articulated landscape structure
replacing the farmland that existed when the activity was first established
here. The land was made "naturally" varied with meadows and
trees chosen by Menon according to his own plan. A stream fed by the nearby
river was also created. Big stones from the tableland, and boulders of
different materials were placed in a logical layout whose simplicity recalls
that of the famous Japanese gardens. And like the latter, here there is
a symbolic value coming from the shapes, colours, materials and sound
of the water. This almost inspired harmony could only reflect the highest
respect for the ecosystem and whose roots lie in the rural origins and
the family tradition of Menon.) And
in this perspective there had to be the fauna, which were included after
examining the characteristics in order to create the most favourable environment.
Hence the park hosts andu', cranes, flamingos, storks, and over thirty
species of local water birds including coots, pheasant, partridges and
peacocks. The truck drivers coming and going are only told to watch out
for the animals, who, moreover, appear to be very respectful of this singular
cohabitation. |
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