One hour from Paris, Ardi brings its objects to life in an aluminium foundry whose expertise has been shaped over decades. It is here that our pieces take form, in close proximity to the people and processes that allow us to oversee each step, refine every detail, and uphold a demanding standard of local production. This proximity defines a way of making that is more attentive, more precise, and more responsible. It anchors Ardi in a place, within an industrial and human continuity we consider essential. Long before Ardi, this foundry was already producing for French industry. Technical components, urban furniture, railway elements: its expertise was built in sectors where precision, durability, and repeatability were essential. In the early 1990s, it took a decisive turn by placing this industrial mastery in the service of design. This is where Ardi began. To this day, our objects are still made in that very same foundry.
Preparation of the mould and positioning of the core before casting.
Pouring molten aluminium into the mould directly from the crucible.
In this fidelity lies a form of continuity. The continuation of a place, a gesture, and a savoir-faire that connects Ardi’s history to its present. Our objects are made from aluminium, a material that is light, strong, durable, and infinitely recyclable. At Ardi, we work with aluminium composed of 99% recycled material, sourced through a demanding reuse channel that makes each piece enduring not only by nature, but by the way it is made. But while aluminium is a material of the future, the way it is shaped belongs to an older knowledge.
Demoulding and quality control of the piece in its raw state.
Each object begins with the making of its mould, machined from a solid block of steel with extreme precision using multi-axis CNC machines. This stage can require up to a full week of work. It determines the accuracy of the form, the quality of the casting, and the repeatability of the gesture. The mould is then prepared for casting, heated, and filled by hand with molten aluminium. The material takes shape instantly. Once cooled, the piece is released from the mould. At this stage, the object appears raw. Casting traces remain, sprues are still visible, and the surface bears the marks of the foundry process. What follows is a long stage of refinement: excess material is removed, lines are corrected, and surfaces are adjusted one by one. Then comes the finishing work. Some pieces are shot-blasted with ceramic microbeads to achieve a matte, dense, mineral surface. Others are polished in successive stages until they reveal a smooth, deep, almost liquid finish. From shot-blasted to mirror-polished, each finish is completed by hand.
Hand polishing and finishing using belt polishing machines.
This is where the singularity of these objects resides: in nuances no machine can fully reproduce. A denser reflection. A softer texture. A nearly imperceptible surface tension. Each Ardi object carries this variation within it. Not as an imperfection, but as the visible trace of its making. At a time of total automation, Ardi stands for another rhythm. A way of making in which the machine assists but does not replace, where the tool extends the hand, and where the object retains something of the person who made it. Our objects are born from this balance. Between industrial heritage and contemporary rigor. Between mechanical precision and artisanal sensitivity. Between series and singularity.