IFDM Design Issue 2023

EF Contract – a division of EF Group – is an international general contractor specialized in the design and implementation of three-dimensional brand experience environments.

A group composed of different and integrated forms of expertise, offering the fundamental advantage of acting as a single resource for clients and designers, covering entire projects and guaranteeing optimal results.

The approach of EF Contract stands out for a total focus on values, combined with a clear vision. Also in environmental terms. For a sustainable future.

#milanoinaction

The people and the objects featured in this issue, reassembled in a large mosaic. Milano Design Week, after four years, is back on its usual dates in April: a formidable epicentre of communication, energy and projects.

16 PHILIPPE STARCK

Double meeting (in person and by phone) with the most famous of contemporary French designers. To talk about the future, dematerialisation, emotions, feelings. And of ‘bionism’, a concept he holds dear

28 MOODBOARD

Trends on stage

42 YESTERDAY>TODAY

The second time around

45 FOCUS ON

A new design anthology

116 SPACES Complex relationships

124 PLACES

North, South, East and West

128 AGENDA

18

MARCO SAMMICHELI

A meeting with the director of the Museo del Design Italiano (Italian Design Museum) at the Milan Triennale, where he also serves as curator of Design, Fashion and Crafts. A conversation on how to talk about design with the public at large

20 RAFFAELLA CORTESE

The Milanese gallery owner, who recently opened a project in the art space in Albisola Superiore – a hotbed of creativity for the great masters of ceramic in the middle of the last century – reflects on the importance of miart for the city.

22 BEATRICE LEANZA

Appointed director of Mudac, Cantonal Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne in January, the Italian curator talks about how she sees the role of cultural institutions

PUBLISHER

Paolo Bleve bleve@ifdm.it

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ruben Modigliani ruben@ifdm.it

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Veronica Orsi orsi@ifdm.it

EDITORS

Alessandra Bergamini

Manuela Di Mari

Umberta Genta

Marina Jonna

Salvatore Peluso

Patrizia Piccinini

EDITORIAL OFFICE redazione@ifdm.it

78 RE/START

What is the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence? We asked architecture and design firms to answer two of the questions below. Here are their answers.

86 RISING TALENTS

Talents to protect our future

92 24HOURS IN MILAN

The ever-evolving capital of design

100 FUORISALONE

Ideas & the city

108 GUEST STAR

Save the date. Follow IFDM at the world’s leading international trade fairs

MONOGRAM IFDM X SICIS

CONTEMPORARY ECLECTICISM

SICIS interprets the new requirements of the market: a mixture of antique and modern, a fusion between decorative and essential parts

INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTORS

New York

Anna Casotti nyc@ifdm.it

DIGITAL DEPARTMENT

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PR & MARKETING MANAGER marketing@ifdm.it

BRAND RELATIONS

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Sara Battistutta, Marco Parisi grafica@ifdm.it

TRANSLATIONS

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Miriam Hurley

Annabel Little

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CLOSED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF

30th March 2023

PRINTED BY Elcograf Spa

Verona, Italy

RUBEN MODIGLIANI | Editor-in-Chief

Utility and beauty

When I was little, my sister and I did our homework sitting on two red plastic chairs. They were light, glossy and looked like they were made from Lego. They were akin to a toy, something “grown-up” that also knew how to speak to us children. That chair - the 4867 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, from 1965 - is now in the design collection at MoMA in New York. For me it was one of my first contacts with the world of design. And it influenced the way I look at objects, trying to enter into contact with them. To understand them.

Nowadays there is an awareness around this theme that I believe is unprecedented in history, at least in western history. It can be seen in the extraordinary amount of people that an event like Milan Design Week manages to attract; pre-pandemic the numbers exceeded half a million visitors, and in a city of one million and 350 thousand inhabitants the impact is tangible. It is a moment of recall in which the global design community takes stock of the situation, expresses new ideas. It addresses desires (the evolution of taste) and needs (environment and security, to name two of the most current). It is the point of contact between the frontiers of the freest experimentation and an important industry - especially for Italy, where the value of production is around 57 billion euro (2022 data, source FLA).

There is more. For the city it is also a way to look at itself through new eyes and think about the future; every edition presents spaces to the pubic that have never been seen before, that open up new perspectives. Even for the many visitors who are not professionals it certainly constitutes a moment in which one’s visual field expands, acquires depth. And becomes experience.

Contemporary design has roots that go back in time. The words of William Morris come to mind, who in 1880 declared: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. Utility and beauty, two elements that it is the task of design to bring together. Then, now and tomorrow.

PS - Welcome Mia! Our cover also talks about you. Because it is ideas that build the future. :-)

SCENARIO

Milan Design Week | April 17-23 2023

RIFLESSI STORE MILANO

P.zza Velasca 6

VOICES

16 PHILIPPE STARCK

Double meeting (in person and by phone) with the most famous of contemporary French designers. To talk about the future, dematerialisation, emotions, feelings. And of ‘bionism’, a concept he holds dear

18 MARCO SAMMICHELI

A meeting with the director of the Museo del Design Italiano (Italian Design Museum) at the Milan Triennale, where he also serves as curator of Design, Fashion and Crafts. A conversation on how to talk about design with the public at large

20 RAFFAELLA CORTESE

The Milanese gallery owner, who recently opened a project in the art space in Albisola Superiore – a hotbed of creativity for the great masters of ceramic in the middle of the last century – reflects on the importance of miart for the city.

22 BEATRICE LEANZA

Appointed director of Mudac, Cantonal Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne in January, the Italian curator talks about how she sees the role of cultural institutions

Philippe Starck

Double meeting (in person and by phone) with the most famous of contemporary French designers. To talk about the future, dematerialisation, emotions, feelings. And of ‘bionism’, a concept he holds dear

by Ruben Modigliani

What is good design today?

If we talk about ‘good design’, I think we also have to involve the buyer. Before buying a product you have to ask yourself if you really need it, otherwise you give up. It is the biggest ecological gesture we need. Anything that is not used cannot be good design. Having said that, good design is the right product, for the right person at the right time, with the right material, at the right price, with the right distribution. And to this parameter we can add longevity.

In which directions should it go?

Towards a bigger, higher, more distant vision: this is what guarantees good creativity. The vision should then be examined through the filter of honesty, necessity, longevity, Economy (with a capital E) and then one can add, if one wishes, one’s humour, feelings, imagination. Provided that these three elements are not in contradiction with those already mentioned.

You have often spoken of dematerialisation. Do you think of a world without objects?

I have been talking about it for forty years, but when you are too far ahead, you must never lose your temper (or your confidence). Simply wait for time to catch up with you. Dematerialisation does not imply a world without objects. Today, at best, objects are designed for a necessity. That is why design exists: to make obligatory objects acceptable and pleasing. It is these that will disappear. Heat, sound, light will come from paint or windows. It will be as if a bomb had been placed in the centre of a room and crushed all the objects into the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Other objects will be transformed, they will be incorporated into something, they will be grouped together. An example we already see today is the mobile phone, which encompasses hundreds of functions. Space will remain for personal feeling: I will be happy to see something I made with my own hands, a piece of wood I picked up on the beach and carved. Something purely emotional.

What will the house of the future be like?

It will be the way we want it, empty and overloaded with ‘sentimental’ objects. We realised that matter, which we

thought was liberating, actually incarcerates us. We acted as sorcerer’s apprentices, we believed that we would create objects that would be useful to us. And finally, in the 21st century, we realised that we are the ones who serve the objects.

In your opinion, 30 years from now, will there still be industrial designers?

There will always be a few. But only a few. The designer of tomorrow will be the coach, the dietician, the psychiatrist. It will be the era I call ‘bionism’. In less than five years everything we do with our phone, thanks to ever smaller chips, will be inside the body. So this body has to be in good shape. We are the machine.

What do you think is ‘good taste’ today?

It is a mixture of archaism, of slowness and difficulty in understanding, of morality and fear. All this together creates ‘good taste’, i.e. a large number of people who fall into line for fear of being judged. Everyone has the right to have their own taste: whether others consider it good or bad does not matter in the slightest. I avoid talking about beauty or taste. Any moment, project, object, place, music is beautiful if it has a harmony. We have generated harmonies by observing the rhythm of waves or that of dunes, the proportion of mountains, the way plants grow. But this has no relation to good taste: because it is not subjective but real.

Last question: what is technology’s most important contribution to design?

The best contribution we can make to the product is the end of greed, cynicism, fashions. Replaced by honesty, a sense of time and longevity. In terms of materials, it is the arrival of organic plastics. Which will allow us to give the simplest comforts to those who need them at affordable prices.

1 In the Mariya collection (Andreu World) the plywood structur e is designed not to use any mechanical joining system.

2 Terracotta, wood and clay for the rooms of the Mob House hotel af the Marché aux Puces in Saint-Ouen (Paris).

3 In the Too Hôtel restaurant in Paris, decoration is kept to a minimum: the view on the city is the real star.

Marco Sammicheli

A meeting with the director of the Museo del Design Italiano (Italian Design Museum) at the Milan Triennale, where he also serves as curator of Design, Fashion and Crafts. A conversation on how to talk about design with the public at large

by Patrizia Piccinini

The Triennale turns a hundred this year. What is its legacy and what can we learn from it?

It’s a century old but has no signs of aging. Like a grande dame, it has spent its life addressing the present by overturning paradigms with an eye trained on the future. From design, to architecture, to fashion, to photography, the whole world has come through its great arches. The world it used to represent was made of narrow fields of interest like home, vehicle, or cruise-ship design. But now design is pervasive. And it teaches us about quality because there is a supply chain behind each product that we need to know about. Design is everywhere now. Even time has lost its meaning. We no longer have to wait all year to find out what’s going on at the Salone del Mobile. It’s been a century of radical experimentation (which is the subject of the book edited by Stefano Boeri and Mario Piazza coming out in May) including early experiments in home design like BBPR’s 1933 “Saturday House for the Newlyweds” and the 1968 protest inside the Palazzo dell’Arte that only briefly interrupted the show Il Grande Numero (“In Large Numbers”). And to think we’re now talking about Big Data when back then the likes of Umberto Eco, Vittorio Gregotti, Archigram, and Arata Isozaki had already such insight about everything about our future.

If design is everywhere, how are we presenting it differently? We need to musealize everything that the temples of design have neglected: doors, windows, bathrooms - everything classified as ugly ducklings, unequal to lamps, sofas, and other more noble furnishings. While artificial intelligence will favor more composite uses, material culture will become the new focus. Tangible pieces that convey ordinary facts will take center stage, rather than isolated or exceptional events. Cross-mingling is also becoming increasingly important, even for making elitist messages more accessible to the greater public. Design used to be told through the filter of art or individual genius – and here educational role returns, which will also be central within the Museo del Design Italiano in its new guise – but now we need to start considering something quieter, design that thrives on everyday use and the genius of its creator.

So, what should we expect for the reopening on April 15?

This was the underlying idea, and the way our institution has evolved required us to overturn paradigms once again with an eye to the future. Everything has changed inside the museum, starting with the layout. Young designer Paolo Giacomazzi helped us with this, creating an exhibition that will run for two years starting in April. There are no icons on pedestals winking at art. Glass display boxes showcase recreated interiors like Piero Bottoni’s Casa Minerbi in Ferrara or the Manusardi residence by Figini and Pollini in Milan and then Carlo Mollino’s Albonico apartment in Turin. In keeping with our starting concept, there will also be a garage with a Cinquecento, a Vespa, a Lambretta and a Guzzi Galletto scooter. And an original Pozzi Ginori bathroom by Antonia Campi. Another innovative work stands out along the corridor leading to the 1980s and 1990s: a ziggurat with several objects showing how Italian design in those years turns into a collection of constellations, also to be understood through a series of maps, made by graphic artists, historians and designers for magazines such as Casabella, Abitare, Interni and Domus. The exhibition concludes with the Design Platform, which will change every four months and will focus on the contemporary with solo and thematic shows. The first of these, Text, will highlight, through the works of works of industrial, fashion and graphic designers, how textile culture and the relationship between text, image and product have generated threads of research straddling art, craftsmanship and fashion. The second, from October to January, will be dedicated to Alberto Meda. Then there will be exhibitions curated by Nina Bassoli and then another curated by Damiano Gullì. A story that, after one hundred years, is still a vortex of continuous renewal.

1 The Museo del Design Italiano will feature also a garage with cars (such as this Fiat Cinquecento) and motorbikes.

2, 3 Historical posters of the Milan Triennale. The institution, founded in 1923, has had 23 editions to date and has, over time, become a landmark in the world of design with a continuous exhibition activity, not limited to triennial exhibitions.

Raffaella Cortese

The Milanese gallery owner, who recently opened a project in the art space in Albisola Superiore – a hotbed of creativity for the great masters of ceramic in the middle of the last century – reflects on the importance of miart for the city

by Giulia Guzzini

What does Art Week and its proximity to Design Week represent for Milan?

The miart fair is an important moment for the art world and the market, that in recent months has been unsettled due to the vulnerable economic and political situation. As well as the fair and Art Week, it is important that the city equip itself with a museum of contemporary art, I have been repeating it tirelessly for 25 years. There is an institutional void, while acknowledging the role of private ones, such as Hangar Pirelli, Fondazione Prada, the ICA and the new Fondazione Rovati, Milan does not yet have a public museum of contemporary art and we should not give up on the idea of having one. The PAC, on the other hand, is an interesting research exhibition centre, with a well-thoughtout programme that also makes room for important monographs by Italian artists. I also believe that we could exploit the relationship between contemporary art, design and architecture further. More and more often I see private collections being enriched with works of design, strengthening them more and more. Also let’s not forget that designers and architects are often collectors, and generally care about beauty. Milan in my opinion has vast resources that could be even more fluid between art, design, fashion, architecture and publishing.

What is the relationship between a work of art, architecture and an object of design?

I have always moved in an area that is very close to architecture. Monica Bonvicini says for example that “humans cannot do without architecture”. It comes to mind her photographic exploration of the houses that I call ‘bipolar’, that are the portrait of a society, a family, a place that is where she comes from. At home, I have a hammer by Monica Bonvicini, completely covered in stitched leather. It is a sculpture but it is also an object used for architectural construction and even a potential instrument of domestic violence. It takes on different meanings. At all levels, I always encounter this love my artists have for architecture.

What will the gallery be presenting for Art Week?

We have three shows: one by Joan Jonas and one by Simone Forti, artists with a strong connection because they

are two performers who are around the same age and know and value one another a lot. Then we have an exhibition-landscape by Kiki Smith, who has populated the gallery space with animals, such as birds and cats, and reconnected to the sculptures that are now at City Life: two large bronze cats, because she was struck by the fact that in Milan there are no stray cats. and wanted to give them back to us on a grand scale. Visitors to Art Week in the city will therefore be able to see these sculptures in the ArtLine park, another by Kiki Smith at NCTM studio, Marcello Maloberti’s spectacular neon at the Shoah Memorial and Kimsooja’s installation in the Portinari Chapel of the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio.

You have opened a new space at Albisola Superiore. Aedicula at Albisola is one of my greatest satisfactions of the last year: twelve square metres that has made me think that you can still do beautiful and important projects with a small space and basic resources. We opened showing a work by Marcello Maloberti, Amore portami dove sono, a delicate phrase that has been very well received also by a local audience, who have partly forgotten the wonderful past that the town had in the 1960s with extraordinary artists like Lucio Fontana, Giuseppe Capogrossi and Leoncillo. I have enjoyed working in a place that is important to the history of art, with the aim of reactivating its glorious past.

What is your personal connection with Albisola?

I was born in May and a few days later my mother placed me under a parasol at the Bagni Miramare. She took long holidays and the Bagni were still frequented by Milena Milani, writer and ceramicist, and partner of Carlo Cardazzo, a leading gallery owner who was able to attract extraordinary artists. Fontana’s studio is still at Albisola, there is a promenade that some still describe as the first public work of art, along which there are beautiful Nature bronze sculptures by Fontana.

1 Leather Tool (Untitled), Monica Bonvicini.

2 Italian Homes, Monica Bonvicini.

3 Installation view of Noah Barker, lux principum, Aedicula Raffaella Cortese, Albisola Superiore. Photo Lele Buonerba.

Beatrice Leanza

Appointed director of Mudac, Cantonal Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne in January, the Italian curator talks about how she sees the role of cultural institutions

by Giulia Guzzini

With a new building by Aires Mateus, Mudac in Lausanne has become a new international hub for design. Mudac is an institution that has existed for twenty years and is recognised at an international level. It is an ambitious project and particularly significant for this historic moment. The museum is, in fact, the result of a commitment to culture that is quite rare nowadays also from an economic point of view, certainly in a European context. It has been a huge investment in terms of infrastructure and has been formulated with the prospect of rethinking a form of collective identity.

What do you bring to Lausanne from your experience at MAAT in Lisbon and CAAW (China Art Archives and Warehouse) in Beijing?

I think that what we can do in Lausanne is bring more entrepreneurship to the institutions, who have to become cogs in today’s great economic and social productivity machine, to be part of a larger context of progress, innovation and sustainability that nowadays can be about anything. Above all, the institutions that have design in their actual name have to contribute to research in the field of future sustainability, intended not only as environmental sustainability. The institutions have to be more reactive and dynamic when it comes to putting themselves forward. They have to be laboratories for exploring the future. The places where you can encounter ideas and visions but also paradoxes, and where there is a capacity to formulate the future, are getting smaller and smaller. Instead I find that places of culture have a fundamental role in creating spaces where the future can be imagined, made accessible and relatable.

What role do cultural institutions have today?

Whether they are museums, kunstalle or festivals, aside from their configuration, institutional agencies have a great responsibility. The visual arts have to ask themselves how to support cultural production in such a way that the wider public, especially a younger audience, build their own relationship with cultural institutions. The creative and cultural industry, which museums and institutions are part of, is in continual transformation, under the great pressure of everything that is edutainment. The main issue

is that young people are accustomed to enjoying culture across channels and times that are almost paradoxically in opposition to what the canonical institutions represent, in other words places with opening and closing hours. There is a need to find strategies so that institutions always speak with relevance and depth to their audience, which is changing.

What is design for you and what is it for?

In my work I have always promoted above all a shrinking of the gap that I think there is between professionals in the world of design and what the public perceives. This gap has widened considerably in recent years and I think that the role of institutions is to reduce it so that the public can feel a connection with everything that design is really doing

How can we reduce this distance?

We can create forms of engagement and relatability that are not just about simplification that subtracts content but that are able to communicate complexity in a way that is transversal. The reality of the world of design today is about confronting complexities of different kinds, where support for design research is rare, unless it comes through private sources and patronage. I think that this is the work that institutions have to do, to support research in the field of design in its various forms.

Will Mudac be present in Milan during Design Week?

We will have an installation at Dropcity, the space at Station Centrale curated by Andrea Caputo and these themes will be addressed in an encounter organised by the House of Switzerland.

Matthieu Gafsou, Cyril Zingaro

1-3 Leanza is the freshly appointed – since January 2023 – director of mudac, Lausanne’s museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts, the only institution in Western Switzerland entirely dedicated to design and is housed. Together with Photo Elysée (Cantonal Museum for Photography), Mac is housed in a building designed by Portuguese architects Francisco and Manuel Aires Mateus.

tailor-made contemporary wallcoverings

layout D+ studio

/

photo Marina Denisova

/ design Maria Gomez Garcia

DESIGN

What

TRENDS ON STAGE

The curtain (actually, a throw) rises on ten sets that tell the best of the new design. Each represent a facet of contemporary taste: rigorous geometries and psychedelic suggestions, vintage citations and desire for nature. A constellation of different styles that, together, compose a perpetually evolving image. Because every home is, after all, also a stage. Let the show begin

by Patrizia Piccinini

The ‘Campanule’ throw in pure new wool, designed by Elena Salmistraro for Lanerossi, is part of a collection that also includes decorative cushions. The stylised flower motif is repeated until it becomes a geometric pattern reminiscent of Art Nouveau stained glass windows.

2 | New look for the Turn Craft table lamp with USB recharge designed by Nao Tamura for

1 | As the background, Dover White from the Exclusive Collection by ANTOLINI (piazza Fontana).

Archi-glam

3 | The Pic-a-stic by INGO MAURER (piazzale Principessa Clotilde) is a suspension lamp to arrange as desired, based on the game of pick-up-sticks.

AMBIETEC (Hall 15/131)

4 | The tables of the past have inspired the new La Mère tableware designed by Marie Michielssen for SERAX 5 | Passepartout by SALVATORI (via Solferino 11) is a collection of coverings based on the desire to recover production waste in a perspective of recycling and zero scrap.

6 | The PK4 lounge chair is one of the first projects by Poul Kjærholm, now produced by FRITZ HANSEN . 7 | The Scrittoio Pilotis desk with glass top by Federico Peri, MARTA SALA ÉDITIONS (corso Monforte 15).

8 | Jacquard weaves for the new collection in black and white by MISSONI HOME (Hall 3/A21-B16).

9 | The ARK chair designed by David Lopez Quincoces for LIVING DIVANI (Hall 7/C11-D16) relies on simple, pure lines.

12 | The Sova chair with organic forms created for ZANAT (corso Magenta 24) by Patrick Norguet.

10 | The Ratio sofa with structure in woven leather, from the collection designed by Toan Nguyen for TURRI (Hall 1/a07-B08). 11 | The Shape collection of tables by Storagemilano for POTOCCO (Hall 7/L15-M12) stands out for a glass top with a squared form, offering a view of the geometric game of the base in solid wood.

1 | Wallpaper from the Out collection by Bertero Marzoli for WALL&DECÒ (Hall 4/H07).

Almost Blue

2 | A classic stripe with a touch of color to add lively rhythm to the Andatura fabric –also for outdoor use –by DEDAR (via Fiori Chiari, 18). 3 | La Siesta terracotta bottle by GANDIA BLASCO (Hall 2/D19-D21), now in cobalt blue. 4 | Like the lights of industrial sheds, the series Cordea outdoor by Favaretto&Partners for MASIERO (Hall 11/202). 5 | Ostrea designed by Mathias De Ferm for ROYAL BOTANIA (Hall 5/E06-E08) is an outdoor chair with structure in stainless steel. 6 | Baia garden chair in fabric with armrests, created by Christophe Pillet for ETHIMO (Hall 2/L22-L24). 7 | G.T. DESIGN (Piazza Tricolore 1) presents the new Rime collection of outdoor carpets, designed by Deanna Comellini.

8 | DOT is a hyper-minimalist product that spreads light without stealing the stage. Designed by Jan Van Lierde for PLATEK (corso Monforte 7). 9 | The D.150.5 chaise longue designed for the cruise ship Andrea Doria in 1952 by Gio Ponti enters the first MOLTENI & C (Hall 4/A03-B06) Outdoor collection. 10 | From JANUS ET CIE (Hall 2/F19-G14), the new Rondo stool in the graphite shale color. 11 | Footrest from the Soleil collection created by Martin Szekely for TECTONA (via della Moscova 47/A) 12 | Salinas upholstered chair from the line by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba for TALENTI (Hall 4/M02-M04).

A new texture for the wood surfaces of ALPI (Hall 4/M12): Raggiosole by Konstantin Grcic.

1 |

The Age of Aquarius

2 | An imaginary embrace interpreted by Elena Salmistraro on the carpet from TAI PING (Piazza San Simpliciano).

3 | The Fregio suspension designed by Andrea Anastasio in collaboration with Bottega Gatti is a new item from FOSCARINI (Hall 1/106).

4 | Simple and versatile, the colorful new TO-ME seating by Favaretto & Partners for GABER (Hall 18/B06).

5 | The studio DWA and Arthur Arbesser have created a kaleidoscopic pattern for the new textile flooring by RADICI (Hall 14/E26).

6 | The Romby chair designed by GamFratesi for PORRO (Hall 7/D5-18) is now launched in a version with 4 legs.

8 | Ongo rechargeable LED table lamp by CONTARDI (Hall 9/202).

7 | LEUCOS (Hall 9/234) and the designer David Rockwell re-imagine the Stacking collection he created in 2007.

9 | 3D surfaces for the sideboard from the Rows collection designed for MOROSO (via Pontaccio 8) by Patricia Urquiola. 10 | The Galeotta transformable chair designed by De Pas D’Urbino Lomazzi (1968) returns in the catalogue of ZANOTTA (Hall 2/B15-C14) 11

| A new version of the Rabbit chairs designed by Stefano Giovannoni for QEEBOO (Hall 6&10/S49), now in 100% recyclable polyethylene.

2 | The Antonym wicker lamp created by Silvia Stella Osella for BOTTEGA INTRECCIO

1 | Cretto is the new terracotta facing with relief developed by Cristina Celestino for MATTEO BRIONI

Living Art

3 | The Nanà chair by UNOPIÙ (via Pontaccio 9) in hand-woven synthetic fiber is a welcoming nest created for comfort.

4

| Chiara Andreatti signs the collection of outdoor carpets Guna for GERVASONI (Hall 5/D11-E12), a mixture of yarns, weaves and textures made with refined knitting techniques.

8 | The AH Outdoor col -

5 | The capsule collection Hana is a series of vases with organic forms, interpreted by 02studio for LAESSE .

7 | Cabla is a modular upholstered furniture system for easy assembly, ready to take on many configurations thanks to just three modules created by Lucidi-Pevere for EMU (Hall 4/H01-H03).

6 | The Dress_Code table by gumdesign for S–CAB DESIGN (Hall 14/A31) with structure in coated metal.

lection is versatile and stackable, designed by the architect Alfred Homann for CARL HANSEN & SØN (Foro Buonaparte, 18/A), to combine rigorous design with soft details.

10 | Natural teak with top in black cork for the table designed by Patrick Norguet for ETHIMO (Hall 2/L22-L24).

9 | The Allure O’ Outdoor table by Monica Armani for B&B ITALIA (via Durini 14) comes with square and rectangular tops, in two height and many finishes.

2 |

1 | KASTHALL (piazza Paolo VI) expands its collection of bouclé rugs, reinterpreting the design with new colors and details.

Jungle Fever

The low Cushion table designed by Luca Barengo with liquid metal finish and marqueterie de paille by A&B LIVING (via Durini 24).

3 | Pix Lamp , designed by Simon Legald for NORMANN COPENHAGEN , has a shade produced with recycled plastic waste.

4 | The new Woody & Mia collection of tables and ottomans, designed and developed by Centro Ricerche GIORGETTI (via della Spiga 31).

5 | Lush foliage for the decoration of porcelain stoneware in the Decora line by RAGNO (via Marco Polo 9).

7 | Polaris mauve vase by CARLO MORETTI (Hall 11/133).

6 | The new Sea Shell family of soft seating by LUXY (Hall

10 | Soft, enveloping, Mira is the new

is available in different fabrics and colors.

table designed by Vincent Van Duysen for MOLTENI&C (Hall 4/A03-B06) is equipped with a central pedestal with a cylindrical and conical form, divided in two in the vertical base.

9 | The

8 | The sugar bowl from the 75 tea service by Augusto Betti, PARADISOTERRESTRE (via Biella 6).

| The Fulham swivel chair with covering in soft white bouclé fabric, GIANFRANCO FERRÈ HOME (Hall 3/A19-B14).

10/B06)

Mateo

chair created by Draga & Aurel for VISIONNAIRE (Hall 5/L11-M06). 11

The

3 |

The Trail table with trihedron grouped leg, designed by Giuseppe Bavuso for LAPALMA (Hall 4/G09-H12).

2 |

Thermes” by ARTE

“Les

1 | Stucco wallpaper from the collection

Orient Express

Campanula suspension lamp in Venetian crystal by García Cumini, produced by BAROVIER & TOSO (Hall 9/102)

4 | Levia Stand , freestanding bookcase in coated metal, formed by square sections, by Gino Carollo for RONDA DESIGN (Hall 18/C09)

6 | Delta Vienna , created by Claesson Koivisto Rune for ARFLEX (Hall 5/C05), with back and seat in a personalized version with Vienna straw, a material that is elastic but strong.

5 | Tabi wallpaper from the Tale Books Kimono collection created by Nicola Bottegal for LONDONART (Hall 4/E01).

7 | Together for the first time, CECCOTTI COLLEZIONI and POLTRONA FRAU (via Manzoni 30) present the Duo collection, a complete line for the living area designed by Roberto Lazzeroni.

8 | Elegance and comfort enter the world of the office by I4MARIANI (Hall 6/B07-C30) with the new Sella collection of chairs, by Palomba+Serafini.

10 | A timeless classic: the Déco vase created by Napoleone Martinuzzi in 1930 for VENINI (Hall 7/H21).

9 | Halley by STILNOVO (Hall 15/120) is the reissue of the lamp created by the German designer Richard Sapper in 2005.

2 |

1 | Made pattern in porcelain stoneware from the “Poster” collection by MARAZZI (via Borgogna 2).

Mood

Vertigo

The Twiggy tables by Luca Roccadadria for CANTORI (Hall 1/C05) are made in iron and leather.

4 |

3 | Chandelier Le Grand Bleu by IDOGI (Hall 3/D21): the great tradition of Venetian lamps in the Rezzonico style, reinterpreted in a contemporary way.

The squared cover of the Rectangular cushion by FRETTE (via Manzoni 11) is made of soft cotton satin with long fibers.

5 | Designed by Studio Front for MOOOI (via San Gregorio 29), the Serpentine Red Amber rug has a playful 3D effect.

7 | The Adel chair with back in Vienna straw, designed for CALLIGARIS (Hall 14/A23-B26) by Gabriele & Oscar Buatti.

8 | The VLA61 Monarch Chair designed in 1944, made in only ten pieces by Vilhelm Lauritzen, is now in the catalogue of CARL HANSEN & SØN (Foro Buonaparte, 18/A).

The Valserliege chaise lounge, designed by Peter Zumthor for a hot springs complex in Switzerland, part of the collection

10 |

9 | Bar cabinet from the Tako collection designed for CONTE (via Senato 45) by Setsu & Shinobu Ito together with Leonardo Mercurio.

“Peter Zumthor by TIME & STYLE ” (largo Claudio Treves 2).

2 |

1 | Fade by LUCE DI CARRARA (piazza XXV Aprile 11/B) is a collection of four textures that reinterprets various motifs from the collective architectural legacy.

Golden Eye

Decorative brass elements with the new ‘satin nickel’ finish for Veronica , a collection of vintage-style lamps designed by Studio63 for MARIONI (via Tortona 27).

3 | Fenix NTA is the super-matte soft touch surface, resistant to fingerprings and micro-scratches, by ARPA INDUSTRIALE (via Quintino Sella 1).

4 | The Remind bookcase created for FIAM (Hall 5/B11) by Simone Bonanni has vertical aluminium uprights; the storage units are attached by means of a pressure system.

5 | Porcelain vase from the collection “Versailles Arches” by JONATHAN ADLER 6 | The Margarita chair by Roberto Matta (an exhibition on his art can be seen in Milan), in an edition by PARADISOTERRESTRE (via Biella 6).

7 |

Soft forms and sinuous curves for the Bold chair by Fabio Fantolino for NUBE (Hall 10/B07).

9 | Eclectic surfaces decorate the Nénuphar sideboard by JUMBO COLLECTION (Hall 1/L05-M07). 10 | Bash by TOM DIXON (via Alessandro Manzoni 5) is a tray made by hand from a single sheet of brass, finished in gold.

8 | The Xilo table designed by Delineo for DE CASTELLI (Hall 4/C01-C03) has thick brass parts and a special new finish for the metal.

8

Gesture by CALICO WALLPAPER references the revolutionary artistic approach of the Abstract Expressionists.

1 |

Through the Looking Glass

2 | Dalia bianca plate holder by MARIAVI , made by hand in sustainable eucalyptus fiber.

3 | Super-gloss lacquer finish for the Denso Mirror by Federica Elmo, VERO INTERNATIONAL (via Felice Casati 3).

4 | The Mélancolie rug by Sam Baron for NODUS (corso di Porta Nuova 34) is made for outdoor areas, in treated polyester resistant to UV rays.

5 | The new, colorful Mickey chair created by India Mahdavi for GEBRÜDER THONET VIENNA (Hall 4/G05).

7 | Window Lamp is the new lighting project by Marcantonio for SELETTI (corso Garibaldi 117).

6 | The bookcase is part of the Sculpted Series by GUFRAM (via Achille Maiocchi 7) and Snarkitecture, the New York design studio founded by Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen.

Like a big woven ball of wool: the Knitty Lounge Chair by Nika Zupanc for MOOOI (via San Gregorio 29).

|

9 | The chimp in white biscuit porcelain with gold teeth and details in Swarovski crystal is called CRA$Y and has been designed by Marcantonio, in the “ Jungle Mood ” collection by VILLARI (Hall 3/D15-D19).

11 | The Tito chair by DRAGA & AUREL (via Matteo Bandello 14) has monumental forms clad with unexpected use of colors in the custom covering.

10 | Aquarel Low Table by Patrcia Urqiola for BUDRI (Foro Buonaparte 60), with a top in Iranian White Onyx tinted with shades of green, pink and peach.

1 | Rosso Jaipur is one of the colors offered in the catalogue of matte and ultra-resistant surfaces of Fenix NTM , ARPA INDUSTRIALE (via Quintino Sella 1).

A Room of One’s Own

2 | By Carlotta Fortuna for BEWALL , the Boiserie wallcovering is a surface with neutral colors and a 3D effect.

3 | A slab set into the metal like a precious stone becomes the shade of the Amulette Art lamp designed by Bernhardt&Vella for FABBIAN (Hall 13/210).

5 | Totem , a rotating bookcase in solid oak by DRIADE (Hall 4/L01-L03), based on the encounter between Bjarke Ingels and Fabio Novembre.

4 | Soban table by Marco Zanuso Jr. for DUSON GALLERY SEOUL (viale Emilio Alemagna 6) is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Korean tray-table in lacquered wood.

6 | In the “ Contos de foghile ” collection (an expression in Sardinian meaning “stories by the hearth”) by AMINI (Hall 2/L14), the colors are classics of the tradition, and the iconic hues of the Antonio Marras maison.

8 | The tubular metal frame of the Armadillo chair designed in 1969 by Gianni Pareschi, now reinterpreted by BUSNELLI (Hall 10/A01-A03)

7 | Cordialina by Roberto Paoli for SLIDE (Hall 10/D14) is a rechargeable table lamp that takes its design cue from Art Deco.

9 | A structure in satin-finish gold-coated brass, and a base in white Carrara or black Marquina marble, for the Aira lamp by Marcantonio for HORM (Hall 4/H08).

11 | Piero Lissoni has created Drum for LEMA (Hall 7/B15-C20), a new family of tables in grosgrain wood, a demonstration of woodworking skill.

10 | The Bend-e bed designed by Zanellato/Bortotto for BOLZAN (via Mercato 3) is a tribute to the age-old technique of wrought iron.

New life for design

Reissues have their own intrinsic charm: products that come back to life, faithful to their original image (often created by the great masters of design), but updated in terms of materials. Here are some new developments for 2023.

by Veronica Orsi

Cleide and Despina were created by Antonio Citterio towards the start of the Maxalto experience, now updated in terms of materials, production technique and size, with the aim of adapting to evolving lifestyles.

Agapecasa, the brand created by Agape to reproduce original projects by Angelo Mangiarotti, presents the expansion of the Cavalletto system, including cabinets with drawers and folding doors, a daybed and a table.

The iconic Crate Collection has been revived thanks to collaboration between Rietveld Originals and HAY. The series includes a lounge chair, a dining chair, a low table and a side table, keeping faith with the original design.

The Washington table lamp has been reissued for its 40th anniversary in limited edition, with revised finishes and high-performance light sources. Originally designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte for the French Embassy in Washington D.C.

 Agapecasa |  Bruno Morassutti |  1953

 Maxalto |  Antonio Citterio |  1993

CAVALLETTO CLEIDE & DESPINA

 Lumen Center |  Jean-Michel Wilmotte |  1983

 Hay |  Gerrit Rietveld |  1943

WASHINGTON CRATE COLLECTION

Stool 60, the model by Artek created by Alvar Aalto, reaches its 90th anniversary. To celebrate, the company has created three limited editions: Stool 60 Kontrasti, Stool 60 Loimu, and Stool 60 Vili, in collaboration with Formafantasma.

Bungee has been restyled to enhance the floor-to-ceiling fixture: the cord is now woven, available in a range of colors, while the base is in concrete, ready to sustain up to three lighting points.

Bugia by Stilnovo resembles an old candlestick with a handle, known in Italian as a ‘bugia’. The lamp returns, among the company’s reissues, as a table or wall version with single or double light sources.

Within the ‘New Room’ project by Tacchini, two reissues of works by the architect Tobia Scarpa: the Sempronia chair from the 1980s and the Dialogo chair from the 1970s. Both convey a sense of material force and modern expression.

 Tacchini |  Tobia Scarpa |  1987-1973

 Artek |  Alvar Aalto |  1933

SEMPRONIA & DIALOGO

 Fabbian |  Renato Montagner |  2002

 Stilnovo |  R. Beretta & A. Macchi Cassia |  1977

BUNGEE

BUGIA

FUORISALONE 2023

HEADQUARTERS: VIA A. MANZONI, 45

HERITAGE FOREVER: VIA A. MANZONI, 38

A new design anthology

The items of furniture selected and published at the following pages mirror our ways of living. Increasingly ductile and flexible, furniture and accessories adapt to the nomadic and increasingly fluid lifestyles that characterise the contemporary world. They are transversal and functional and often rework classic product types in the light of new ways of living.

by Giulia Guzzini, Ruben Modigliani, Veronica Orsi

A harmonious duet

Poltrona Frau and Ceccotti Collezioni have worked together on an original collection that underlines their respective areas of know-how, in a complementary balance. The DUO Collection is the first episode of a new synergy that reflects a shared approach to design, making its exclusive debut during Milano Design Week in the context of the wider-ranging 2023 Pleasures Collection by Poltrona Frau. Designed by

Roberto Lazzeroni, the DUO Collection takes its inspiration from the concept of the Italian Dolce Vita, with its carefree style, becoming the expression of the “pleasure of welcome,” of hospitality recreated through furnishing elements – for both domestic and collective spaces – envisioned to facilitate interaction and sharing. Hence one indispensable features of the collection is the presence of upholstered

furnishings for the living area – like the DUO Sofa and the DUO Lounge chair – created by Poltrona Frau, seen alongside the wooden furnishings made in Tuscany by Ceccotti Collezioni: storage cabinets, bookcases, consoles, a large table and smaller tables, a lamp, a screen and mirrors. With the DUO Collection the “salons” of the 1950s return to the scene, hosting a new cultural, social and design ferment.

POLTRONA FRAU

 via Manzoni 30 DUO sofa and lounge chair, design Roberto Lazzeroni

100% glamour

“With Dolce&Gabbana Casa we wanted to create a unique lifestyle,” Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana explain. “Just caress a fabric, or let your eyes roam over one of our pieces, and you immediately grasp its basic values: craftsmanship, love for handiwork, respect for tradition and pursuit of innovation.” One of the elements that have formed the visual language of the two designers over time is gold. Opulent, a tribute to Sicily and its sumptuous palaces and churches; but also capable of suggesting the stylistic vanguards of the 1960s, that sense of glamour with an eye on the future. Oro24K is a theme that joins the other four that immediately went into the DNA from which the creative universe of this home furnishings like took shape: Leopardo, Zebra, Blu Mediterraneo and Carretto. The language of Oro24K pays homage to the opulence of the Baroque and its eccentric but also very refined forms. The glorious pomp

of that period comes back to life in the precious fabrics, or the smooth and hammered surfaces of the furniture. In particular, the undulated effect owes its unique character to extraordinary workmanship, rooted in the great Italian tradition of excellent crafts. While the wonders of handiwork enable us to rediscover Beauty, the history and art of the past, and the pursuit of innovation, enable the contemporary world to gain vital force. Thanks to Dolce&Gabbana Casa, lifestyle takes on a golden finish. A new facet in the composition of an ideal of Beauty, which together with the gigantic Italian cultural heritage provides the inspiration for the two designers, who explain: “Over time, all these elements have been reinterpreted in a unique lifestyle, in the spirit of the Dolce Vita, the joy of living: the elegance of our furnishings and complements is never cold or austere, but instead takes on festive, carefree and cheerful tones.”

Revolutionary character

The Twiggy system bursts into the Minotti collections with novel appeal, full of charm, reinterpreting the ideal of timeless beauty that is always evolving in the company’s creations. A seating family – designed by Rodolfo Dordoni – with an irreverent character (like the fashion icon for which it is named), in terms of

aesthetics and relationships with space. The project stems from the single chairs in the Small, Large and Deep versions, with or without armrests. These are joined by a bench, a couch and a chaise longue, which can be freely inserted in the living area as a system of components for free and easy configuration. The new language

of grouping breaks away from schematic formulas, adapting to constantly evolving needs. Rigorous but extremely accommodating in its design, Twiggy dresses up in leather, nubuck or fabric; refined stitching sets the rhythm of the coverings, adding distinctive decoration that also reveals the brand’s sartorial expertise.

Two in one

Designed by the studio m2atelier, SKINS

Wine Cabin is a refined cabinet that contains and encloses the undertop wine cooler, one of the latest and most versatile products of Signature Kitchen Suite (the brand of premium built-in appliances of the LG Electronics group). A freestanding element, also at the center of the room, SKINS combines urban imagery with vintage references thanks to the combination of materials for tactile and chromatic effects. The rotating central base in burnished brass supports a perforated structure in various precious guises produced by A&B Wood Finishes, including tobacco-tone wood wrapping micro-grosgrain glass.

 Hall 7/E15-G24

TWIGGY seating system, design Rodolfo Dordoni

The unit can contain up to 41 bottles in the wine cooler set below the counter, together with a “vanity” zone for storage of glassware and stoppers, corkscrews and bottle openings, carafes and decanters. With SKINS the wine cabin becomes a highly decorative furnishing element, ready to enhance interiors for the most refined moments of convivial enjoyment.

SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE

 via Alessandro Manzoni 47 SKIN Wine Cabin, design m2atelier

MINOTTI

Design

Hypnotic effect

After Paola Navone and Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, Lanerossi begins a new collaboration with an accent on design innovation. For Design Week 2023, the company’s range of creative talents includes Elena Salmistraro, with the new “Campanule” collection of blankets and decorative cushions, mixing a visionary approach with a focus on corporate heritage. The design of Campanule reinterprets the form of springtime bellflowers, through a combination of geometric elements obtained by a blend of fluid, soft lines and more rigid, angular features for a forceful contemporary look. The designer has thus

generated a hypnotic visual effect of great impact, which pervades the outdoor and indoor spaces of the Lanerossi showroom in Milan, in a site-specific installation approached as an immersive experience in the imaginative world of the brand.

Harmony of contrasts

The sofa changes gender and becomes female. It acquires charm, adaptability, a completely renewed personality. A metamorphosis that only two women could accomplish. They are Lina Obregón and Carolina Galan - respectively product designer and fashion designer - the creative minds behind Thea, the new sofa by MDF Italia. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, combining experience gained in the design field with meticulous attention to tailoring, the two designers have created a feminine interpretation of an upholstered sofa with features that are equally aesthetic and functional. «Minimalism ended with the economic crisis. We wanted to create something completely different, yet emotional at the same time - the two women explain - We are mothers and architects, we live in a home with children, but we want it to be impeccable in the evening so that we can host dinners. Our daily lives have led us to a 360° approach». The sofa changes gender and becomes female. It acquires charm, adaptability, a completely renewed personality.

LANEROSSI

 via Mercato 5 CAMPANULE textile collection, design Elena Salmistraro

CASSINA  via Durini 16 HAYAMA madia, design Patricia Urquiola

Color Fantasia

All the creative eclecticism of Baxter goes into the new collection for 2023. The irreverence of Pop Art, the design of the 1970s, the Majorelle blue that enchanted Yves Saint Laurent, the sparkling atmosphere of Studio 54, come back to life in seductive settings for the day and night zones. This kaleidoscope of inspirations is composed of materials and colors, skillfully mixed to of-

fer different interpretations of the concept of elegance in the Baxter style. This is what happens in the encounter between the Jodie chairs and the Kate table (both created by Christophe Delcourt): an expression of love for electric blue, enhanced by juxtaposition with Grand Antique marble, through soft lines that emanate a sensation of comfort and informality.

BAXTER

 Hall 5/H01-L08

1 JO sofa, design Draga&Aurel

2 JODI chair, KATE table, design Christophe Delcourt

Light that crosses time

The path of evolution of lighting by Nemo extends along two parallel lines, namely the creation of contemporary icons and the development of the ‘Masters’ collection, a range of lamps designed by the great masters of the 20th century, like Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Vico Magistretti, Franco Albini and Kazuhide Takahama. This second direction includes the Lampe de Bureau created by Charlotte Perriand in 1965: a project that arose from the need to light the faces reflected in the mirror of a cabinet designed for the famous French glassworks Boussois. The Lampe de Bureau first appeared in the wall version, and

was later transformed as a table lamp: the gray steel stem is attached to a darker base, raised and almost suspended, while the translucent glass diffuser comes in white for the outer surface, green, red, blue and blue-gray for the outer finish.

NEMO

 corso Monforte 19/A, via Borgonuovo 19 LAMPE DE BUREAU table lamp, design Charlotte Perriand

A (new) definition of style

The new collection presented by Visionnaire embraces almost every moment of a person’s daily life, from waking up (with a gym session to tone the body and spirit) to cocktail hour. And it redefines them in terms of the elegance of shapes and materials, aiming at the uniqueness of style. A broad and multifaceted vision, developed thanks to the creative input of a large number of designers. Here are three manifesto pieces. The Shibari armchair has as its decorative element a large knot: a sign-symbol which in Egypt represented immortality, and which in this project is declined in a form of great softness. Duke is a bar cabinet that manages to be both linear and unpredictable, thanks to the interplay of materials and shapes: the Patagonia marble of the top, the ribbed MDF of the body, the metal element that fits into the cabinet and creates a strip of light. Finally Lucente, a sky/earth or table lamp that combines the ironic preciousness of the oversize jewel shape with the sustainability of the material (regenerated PMMA). What emerges is a sophisticated way of living the home, which designs a new idea of luxury. That brings together design precision, extreme attention to detail and decorative richness. The presence at Milano Design Week is also enriched by a special project: The Empire of the Senses. The presence at Milan Design Week is also enriched by a special project: The Empire of the Senses, a synesthetic narrative, based on

a vision of Studiopepe – Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto – to describe acapsule collection of three pieces designed for Visionnaire: the Shibari chair, the Parade lighting system and theBlanche set of two mirrors. The immersive installation – presented during Design Week 2023 in the Wunderkammer of the Visionnaire Design Gallery – focuses on the senses as tools of knowledge of the world. The surfaces are tactile, the colors reflect the nuances of skin. The experiences – visual, tactile and olfactory – are accompanied by dance performances. L’impero dei sensi is a unique project, where the arts and design join forces to create a magical, engaging atmosphere. The sensation is that of plunging into a soft, enveloping world where time stands still.

VISIONNAIRE

 Hall 5/L11-M06, piazza Cavour 3

1 LUCENTE lamp, design Gupica

2 DUKE bar unit, design Alessandro La Spada

3 SHIBARI armchair, design Studiopepe

Extension in space and time

The new Estendo sofa by Roda crosses over times and styles. The designer Luca Pevere took his cue from the historic Japan Chair created in 1957 by the Danish designer Finn Juhl, to create a contemporary outdoor solution with a strong character that is also ready to evolve, adapting to spaces, uses and functions. Pevere borrows the image of the original back in wooden rod, translating it into aluminium, “making it the distinctive feature, the connection between the various seating modules, with the possibility of closing around the armrest,” the designer says. This light frame supports the soft cushions, generating linear

structures for one, two or three seats, with or without armrests, and a corner version. Thanks to the two main sections, placed below the seat and at the ends of the back, permitting connection of the various modules, an open structure is created which can be lengthened and extended (hence the name) at a later date.

Contemporary art

Chisels, brushes and knives were among the traditional tools for artists to work with plaster, since ancient times, utilizing blocks of material to make eternally fascinating sculptural creations. Today their mastery lives on thanks to technology that reproduces the same know-how in

contemporary aesthetic solutions. This is what happens in the new 3D Wall Plaster collection by Atlas Concorde, a three-dimensional ceramic surface that interprets the artisanal techniques of plaster and the force of the material in five different decorative motifs: Origami, Bloom, Jasmine,

Combed and Barcode generate soft reliefs, spatula effects, engravings, lines and patterns, interacting with light and conveying a vibrant perception of the surface. Interiors come alive through games of 3D micro-details, of mutable visual impact depending on the vantage point.

ATLAS CONCORDE

 Hall 14/D27

1 BARCODE ceramic surface

2 JASMINE ceramic surface

RODA

 Hall 4/D02-D04 ESTENDO sofa, design Luca Pevere

UPGRADE YOUR OFFICE PANORAMA

by Ben van Berkel/ UNStudio

Out of Africa

A complete collection of outdoor furniture designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Talenti, Karen is a clear homage to the African continent and to Karen Blixen, the author of “Out of Africa”. “We wanted to convey the strength and beauty of this land in the design, focussing on the intertwined

details of the two rings that become armrests” say the architects. The sofa, daybed and armchair in the series are in fact characterised by a tribal aesthetic that can be perceived in the enveloping forms and curved lines of the armrests that give these chairs the regal feel of a throne. The furniture is made with a wood-

en structure around which is wrapped the rope that, perfectly taut, acts as a backrest for the soft padded cushions. Three colours are available: natural teak - taupe, natural teakgrey and natural teak - green pine. Finally, the collection is completed with low tables, tables and dining chairs.

TALENTI

 Hall 4/M02-M04

1,2 KAREN sofa, design Ludovica+Roberto Palomba

Rigor and beauty

The Atlantis table, fixed or extensible, is a summary of balanced lines and appealing materials. The structure is made with legs in die-cast aluminium, offered in a very wide range of finishes and personal interpretations, with the spirit of a bespoke product. Like the ceramic top (white Statuary, Calacatta Oro, Noir Desir, flamed taupe Piacenza stone, Greek Black, Emperador, Sahara Noir, gray or anthracite Savoia stone, blue Sodalite, Burgundy Green and Capraia), which can be matte, glossy or hammered, with 12 decorations ranging from white

Statuary to blue Sodalite. The extension technology is innovative: the mechanism is in anodized aluminium, while the 80 cm extension (made from the same slab as the top to preserve the design and the grain) is stored inside the table itself.

RIFLESSI

 Hall 3/C19

ATLANTIS table

Aereodynamic

Searching to create an effect of visual continuity between inside and outside is a constant in contemporary design. The Flap collection of modular soft furniture, designed by Meneghello Paolelli, responds precisely to this demand with a family of furniture that adapts to various contexts in terms of use both in the residential and contract sector, where indoor and outdoor settings interact with one another. The particular feature of this seating system is in the element that forms a moveable backrest, a sort of wing that has the function of supporting the back cushions. This el-

ement, with a shape that resemble aircraft flaps, hence the name, is fixed to the slender structure in metal tubing and can rotate on an axis around 15 degrees, allowing the supporting cushion to be placed at different angles to achieve the best possible level of comfort.

S•CAB

 Hall 14/A31 FLAP sofa, design Meneghello Paolelli

Natural evolution

Akiko has been formulated as a small chair by Oscar & Gabriele Buratti: an elegant, compact and comfortable place to sit. A favorite item in the collections of Gallotti&Radice for the living area, which transcends trends and styles thanks to its soft profiles and lightness of form. Preserving the same character, the designers have then come up with a “Lounge” model, accentuating the padding and the seat to adapt to conversation and relaxation corners. Now the family expands with the new “Swivel” model, which rotates by 180°, further expanding the range of uses. Akiko Swivel is ideal for the home-office, by now an everyday feature of homes, combining great looks and functional practicality. The seat (with covering in fabric or leather) is supported by a 4-spoke base in warm gray coated metal.

GALLOTTI&RADICE

 Hall 5/F09-G10

1,2 AKIKO chair, design Oscar & Gabriele Buratti

Beautifully imperfect

The fulcrum of the design of the Baggy lamp designed by Paola Navone for Contardi is the skilful workmanship of the materials, capable of making the polycarbonate diffuser look like a crumpled paper tube. In fact, the lamp plays on the equivocation of materials to show its playful and informal face, like the pair of oversized trousers that inspire its name. Even the textile cord – a functional joining element used to support the lamp in the suspended version and to join the elements together for the table and floor versions – plays the card of having happened to be there by chance, ironically stolen from other worlds. «Like all our designs», says Paola Navone, «Baggy is the result of a unique alchemy between our way of doing things and a company’s technical ability. In a very special way, Contardi has followed our attitude to imperfection, accepting to decline the rigorous technical essence that belongs to it into a lamp project with an ephemeral balance and an air as playful and ironic as its name. Baggy was born from the

encounter with Contardi’s incredible know-how in interpreting the most advanced LED technology in indoor and outdoor collections with a contemporary soul, with great attention to the quality of the materials and attention to detail». What makes the Baggy collection special is the organic shape inside which is housed a light source composed of a custom LED that emits light in a magical and unexpected way. «In our designs», the designer continues, «light is a determining element and we are very fascinated by being able to imagine luminous objects. In our way of thinking about design, technology is never a limitation, rather a chance to experiment with new creative possibilities and new connections between worlds’». The collection naturally tells of Contardi’s great professionalism in interpreting light in a versatile and technically perfect way. It also tells of their free and visionary soul, curious to experiment with different languages, even with an irregular, disjointed and ironically imperfect mood like Baggy.

lamp, design Paola Navone

Forever outdoor

Drawing extensively on the cosy atmosphere of French cafes, Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez have designed a dining version of the successful Allaperto furniture collection for Ethimo, originally designed to enhance outdoor settings in the mountains. The new Allaperto Bistro chair is characterised by the ergonomic comfort of the seat and a highly contemporary appearance that at the same time retains the unique artisanal charm of the weave. The seat consists of a structure that combines teak and metal, in a Coffee Brown finish, with hand-woven cord that forms the shape of the body. The weave, created in a herringbone pattern, is availa-

Timeless modernity

“Metropolitan Frames” is a collection of furniture that declines three different and complementary concepts of elegance, each linked to a city: New York, London and Rome. Monti, named after the district of the Italian capital, is a series of pieces consisting of a table (with round or oval top), bookcase, chair and pouf. The recurring shape is the circular one, so closely linked to classicism: the table legs are fluted like columns, and the pouf is also an essential cylinder, like a miniature, minimalist Coliseum. Almost as if to recall the density of ancient elements that characterises the city. Modernity is brought by details: like the

metal band - chrome, brass or matte black - that in the tables distances the top from the base. The colour range of the woods used is classic sobriety: natural oak, natural ash, canaletto walnut. To which is added the contemporary twist of black.

ITLAS

 via Melchiorre Gioia 35 MONTI table, chair and pouf, design Matteo Bianchi

ble in Sand, Sand and Dark Grey, or Sand and Sage coloured cord, that emphasise the design with a natural colour palette that fits discreetly in outdoor settings. Designed to be easy to stack so as to make storage operations easier, the chair can be easily matched with tables of different shape, type and materials.

ETHIMO

 Hall 02/L22-L24

ALLAPERTO BISTRÒ dining chair, design Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez

Cardinal Directions

The Kaleido of Life Collection is enriched with a new series of carpets designed for Saharai by Marcel Wanders. After Allure, Charme and Lush, presented last year, the carpet family expands to include North, South, East and West, four creations by the Dutch designer inspired by neoclassical decorations. All the decorative components of these creations seem to take on a harmonious and hypnotic order as if they were filtered through the lens of a kaleidoscope which radiates the decorative motifs along the straight lines traced by the four cardinal points. The structure of North,

South, East and West recalls the ceilings and vaults of royal residences throughout Europe but it is the 3D manufacturing that characterises the carpets. The surface of the carpet is very complex to the touch, like fine bas-reliefs carved in marble.

SAHRAI

 Via Manzoni 45 KALEIDO OF LIFE collection, design Marcel Wanders

Showroom: 39 Commerce Cres, Kramerville, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa

10 600 2100 info@illusso.co.za www.illusso.co.za illusso_za

En plein air

A natural extension of the Formalia system by Scavolini, Formalia Outdoor is the first kitchen designed by the Italian brand for outdoor settings. The strong points of the product are the design, evident in the profiled door that the handle is set into, the functionality, expressed for example in the possibility of introducing lower or open-fronted elements, and the high quality of the materials. As well as guaranteeing high standards of resistance, essential in outdoor settings, the materials selected express an elegant and sophisticated style. The aluminium structure and worktop with integrated washing area, available both in steel

and in various other materials, can be combined with two different door finishes: in steel for a technical look or in exterior-grade wood - Okumè ply with teak veneer - that gives a more textured overall look.

SCAVOLINI

Total Comfort Outdoors

Pratic’s bioclimatic pergola technology has developed even further with Phoenix. The latest model presented by the Fruilibased brand, specialised in the design of bioclimatic pergolas and awnings is fitted with an outdoor screen with mobile slats that can move, following the natural movement of the sun. Phoenix is an al-

uminium pergola that is self-supporting of fixed to the wall, produced by Pratic with a retractable roof. The uprights with a rectangular section (10 x 15 cm) create a structure that can reach a maximum size of 5.5 x 6 m for a single module. The retractable PVC blinds is controlled by automated systems using a remote control or

smartphone and can be adjusted via sensors that are activated automatically in the case of sun, rain, snow or wind. Two versions are available: with arches (Phoenix Air) or with uprights (Phoenix Free), both self-supporting or wall-installable to create configurations that offer comfortable, even coverage against sun and light rain.

PRATIC

 Hall 2/G19

PHOENIX AIR, design Pratic

 corso Sempione 39, piazza Giuseppe Missori 2, viale Piave 15, Scalo Milano FORMALIA OUTDOOR kitchen, design Scavolini

Hidden in plain sight

Balanced between the tradition of crafts and technology, the creations of Agresti have completely changed the concept and look of safes, transformed from concealed functional elements to décor complements of refined charm. The impression is that of sculptures created by hand, which incorporate opening mechanisms for maximum security. The units contain personalized inner configurations, ready to store any type of precious content. The bespoke approach can also be seen in the new Gioia Metal safe: made in steel (for

Suspended pearls

The synthetic style, but at the same time characterised by turgid and opulent volumes, typical of Art Déco in the first half of the last century, is the main source of inspiration for the collection developed by Elie Saab Maison together with architect Carlo Colombo. Among the novelties presented is Pearl, a chandelier with an original and sophisticated character whose large structure is composed of geometric elements with rounded shapes. Simple and minimalist, the metal structure that makes up the suspension body acts as a support for the diffusers that contain the light sources dotting the structure. Like pearls of light on an antique jewel, light diffusers dot the lamp’s structure. The luminous effect is remarkable because, when the light sources are switched on, the structure almost disappears from view, and the light pearls seem to float suspended in space.

 Via Sant’Andrea 23 PEARL chandelier, design Carlo Colombo

easy insertion in existing furniture) and opened by means of a numerical digital keypad, this model has an elegant, tactile inner chamber, with the possibility of outfitting with rotors for automatic watches, entirely made in Switzerland.

AGRESTI

 Hall 3/H25

GIOIA METAL safe

ELIE SAAB MAISON

PARIS | LONDON | MILANO | RAVENNA | NEW YORK | DUBAI

Blithe spirit

In 1948, Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini invented the Fazzoletto vase, an object destined to become an archetype. Today, 75 years later, this invention finds new functionality. Under the artistic direction of Studio Marco Piva, Fazzoletto - which last year was reinvented as a table lamp: Fazzoletto Fantasmino - now becomes a pendant lamp. Hence the name,

Fazzoletto Volante. An object that ironically evokes the floating of a spirit (presumably a blithe one, as in Noël Coward’s comedy) and gives this historical design a new functionality. The lamp can be installed individually or in multiple compositions and is equipped with a mechanism that allows the height to be adjusted to create ever-changing atmospheres.

“I wanted to give new life to an iconic and always contemporary object by transforming it into an ethereal, light element that finds a further identity in the combination of glass and light,” explains Marco Piva. The result is an elementary and brilliant invention. Which stems from the ability to see things from ever new perspectives.

Like a hug

The young design duo The Touch Studio (Veronica Vergari and Timothy Baldacci) has stated its mission: “to generate emotions by making settings that create unique experiences, that touch the heart and leave an impression.” The Madame Butterfly collection they have designed – two or threeseat sofas, plus an armchair – starts from the form of butterfly wings, an archetype of lightness, transformed into an organic, sinuous line: a seating system with an essential character, where the back is without divisions, conceived to bring the warmth of a hug. Its softness is emphasized by a tubular

VENINI

 Hall 7/H21

FAZZOLETTO VOLANTE lamp, design Marco Piva

element that encloses and borders the outer part of the back and the armrests; a detail that creates a slight rippling of the volume, defining its look and bringing remarkable lightness. A very simple, elegant gesture. Which becomes the keystone of the design.

FLOU

 Hall 7/A15-B12

MADAME BUTTERFLY sofa, design The Touch Studio

Natural and minimalist

Designed by Elisa Ossino for De Padova, the Honoré range consists of a sofa and low tables designed for the living room. Characterised by their organic forms and rounded profiles, the elements in the collection express a sensitivity for design that takes a natural and minimalist approach. The highly original profile of the sofa results from the combination of the curved lines of the seat and those of the backrest. Soft and delicate, the backrest is defined by the circular graphic sign of a cylinder that is curved to follow the sinuous line of the seat cushion. The feet in turned wood, that

Getting it right the first time

raise the sofa up off the ground to give it a light and airy appearance, also highlight the attention given to craftsmanship. The series is completed by side tables with a round top that can be combined together in assorted sizes and finishes.

DE PADOVA

A double debut for Perennials and Sutherland during Design Week, where the protagonist is the new creative director of Sutherland Furniture, Eugeni Quitllet, with his new Monaco collection. Monaco offers a bistro table and chair with infinite possibilities: modern, versatile, delicate in the combinations of materials conveying different tactile impressions, ready for use in the widest range of outdoor contexts thanks to the light aesthetic. These principles reflect the identity of the brand, which since 1991 has created settings for living en plein air, transmitting values of “honesty, authenticity and elegance.”

PERENNIALS & SUTHERLAND

 via Ciovasso 17

1-3

 Via Santa Cecilia 7 HONORÉ, design Elisa Ossino

MONACO chair, design Eugeni Quitllet

Ph Laura Panno

Visions of our time

Different inspirations meet in a collection full of visual references. Creating three big families of inspiration, three moodboards. Virtual Aesthetics is a tribute to digital creativity, a world where color takes on power and impact, all in vivid technicolor hues. Cocoon is a celebration of the

analog, everything that is made by hand, where the colors – terracotta, straw, sand – and the textures all point to nature. The third mood is Post-Metaverse: a synthesis of the first two, but at the same time something more. Here the atmosphere is distilled, essential; the geometric lines

suggest architecture, light, metal; and the color spectrum is enhanced by infinite shades of gray. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis: three different worlds, but all in tune, all together, to create a captivating aesthetic language. And to create evocative atmospheres, while generating emotions.

WALL&DECÒ

 S Project

1 AFRICAN CANVAS wallpaper, design Francesca Zoboli

2 CUBIC wallpaper, design Draga&Aurel

3 VALMONT wallpaper, design Studio Salaris

In praise of softness

The new design by Andrea Parisio, art director of Meridiani, is a seating system with a simple, relaxing line, full of harmony. And, in its own way, subtly playful. With its beveled, rounded volumes – like stones polished over the centuries – it is a statement of comfort; at the same time, its impeccable, rigorous design is designed to cross eras and fashions without difficulty. Like those family pieces of furniture that are handed down from generation to generation. The interplay of shapes of the various elements that compose it becomes an essential form of decoration: in the sofa, the backrest evokes the outline of a transverse column supported by two large

stones. Like a reinvented megalithic architecture. The Oscar system consists of a two or three-seater sofa, armchair and relax chaise. There is also a leather element, offered as an optional extra, to ideally divide the headrest from the seat.

MERIDIANI

 Hall 7/G11-H18 via Alessandro Manzoni 38, corso Venezia 29 OSCAR sofa, design Andrea Parisio

Modular geometry

The Ralik modular seating system designed by Ichiro Iwasaki for Arper consists of chairs, ottomans and benches with rounded, reassuring shapes that can be used as single units or combined to create infinite solutions of different sizes and shapes, able to respond to a wide range of project requirements. Distinctive feature of the Ralik line are the ‘L’-shaped legs made of recycled polypropylene that not only facilitate cleaning but also give the modules a sculptural effect. Equipped with charging sockets, the elements in the range are designed for public or work spaces, but can also be

adapted for domestic use. Different types of side tables complete the Ralik family, creating practical supporting surfaces. The line also includes soft cushions that can be combined with the benches to provide comfort in larger configurations.

ARPER

 Hall 4/D06-09

RALIK modular seating, design Ichiro Iwasaki

New horizons

A new chapter has been added to Ginori 1735’s centuries-old history, that of home décor. With a collection, ‘Ginori Domus’, which opens up the brand to new types of objects, from table textiles to furnishing elements, many of them designed by Luca Nichetto (who had already worked with Ginori on the ‘La Compagnia Di Caterina’ home fragrance line). These pieces are joined by some highly prestigious collaborations: Barovier&Toso for the lamps, made using highly refined working techniques, Rubelli for the fabrics jacquard fabrics that pick up on famous Manifattura decorations. To this are added runners and

A lexicon, reinvented

Colours and graphic rhythms go hand in hand, as in the brand’s DNA. A visual language that is renewed by new signs and colour combinations. While the shapes take the direction of a simplification that combines functionality and joyful aesthetics. The Nastri pattern is one of the symbols of this new course: made of jacquard fabric, the pattern becomes material and acquires density and thickness. It covers seats but also becomes the top of a coffee table or a blanket. The lines that run through it are like threads weaving into a ball of yarn, a theme that has always been dear to the brand. All the new patterns are used to cover poufs of various shapes, fur-

nishing elements that can be placed side by side to create evolving domestic scenes, to be changed as often as one likes. And where the keynote is created by the oversized, pictorial carpets that define a 100% Missoni mood.

MISSONI HOME

 Hall 3/A21-B16 via Solferino 9

NASTRI upholstery fabric, art director Alberto Caliri

American-style sets with napkins, developed in collaboration with Lisa Corti, and finally lead crystal and cutlery, where emotion and functionality are moulded on the table, making it unique.

GINORI 1735

 piazza San Marco 3

LAVENUS lounge chair, design Luca Nichetto ORIENTE ITALIANO fabric

Ode to comfort

Conceived as part of a project for style development, The Circle of Harmony, launched in 2020 with the aim of creating a community of designers to promote the stylistic evolution of Natuzzi Italia, Bao is a sofa designed by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group. Called upon to address the theme of comfort, that has always represented a crucial and indispensable feature of the furniture proposals from Natuzzi, Bjarke Ingels have come up with a sofa that takes inspiration from the early models by the Pugliese brand, characterised by a soft and hospitable style. The name Bao, that in Chinese means “precious treasure”, brings to this sofa a de-

sire for beauty in the broadest sense. Generous in terms of its proportions, the Bao sofa suggests a relaxed and informal mode of use aided by the width of the seat. The soft cushion wraps around the wooden structure. while another cushion sits on the side structure and becomes a soft armrest that extends the area for reclining on.

NATUZZI ITALIA

 via Durini 24 BAO sofa, design BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

Smart washing

Featuring all the latest washing technology, the Gaggenau Series 400 dishwasher offers numerous innovative functions. One of these is Zeolite - that optimises the drying process and allows more delicate objects to be washed at lower temperatures - and the new Drying Assistant function - that adds the option of automatically opening the door at the end of the cycle to optimise the drying of dishes in a completely natural way. The high standards of performance and meticulous attention to design are evident also in terms of lighting: firstly,

with the discreet lateral Info-Light indicating when the ultra-silent dishwasher is in operation and secondly, with innovative back lighting that surrounds the dishes in a brilliant soft light when the dishwasher is opened with the “push-to-open” function.

GAGGENAU

 corso Magenta 2 SERIE 400 dishwasher, design Gaggenau

The ‘third space’

The design developed by Ben van Berkel of UNStudio for Fantoni is based on the concept of the ‘third space’. By this term, we mean rooms such as waiting rooms, break areas or cafeteria areas, which are gaining in importance and are increasingly becoming the true heart of an office. They are flexible areas where one can work, meet, relax, individually or with others. Designed to integrate with other Fantoni products that are already in line with these trends, the elements that make up the Panorama collection define three specific operating areas: collaboration – that includes solutions for team work ar-

eas, brainstorming spaces, short meetings –; learning and focus – that defines private spaces for focus moments, phone booths, meeting rooms –; and social – that offers flexible solutions for comfortable breakout and relaxation areas, individual or group.

FANTONI

 Hall 2/F11-G12

PANORAMA collection, design Ben van Berkel / UNStudio

Playing with shapes

Playful and versatile, the new collection of accessories for the living room presented by Giorgetti consists of two elements designed to integrate perfectly with one another. One is MIA, a pouf with a strong sculptural impact made up of a cylindrical padded structure in polyurethane that can be covered in fabric or leather. The other is WOODY, a side table with organic forms made from wood but also available in a padded pouf versions, also covered in fabric or leather. The distinctive feature of the collection is the fact that the two pieces can be used sep-

arately but have also been designed to fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle. The clever and sophisticated visible angular shape of MIA enables the pouf to be fitted into the WOODY table that in turn features a curved and irregular profile.

GIORGETTI

Creative writing

What if we could translate our thoughts into matter? This is - also - the direction of the special project by Antolini, an Italian excellence recognised worldwide in the production of natural stone claddings. Which has chosen to collaborate with Pietro Terzini, a transversal creative (with a degree in architecture, his work crosses fashion, street art and digital art). Terzini is known – his Instagram profile has more than 240,000 followers – for lapidary phrases characterised by a thought that knows how to be profound, irreverent and light at the same time: “The best things are not things”, “Take a deep breath” written in large letters on the bottom of a swimming pool. Antolini has chosen some of them and transformed them into stone

inlays, created through a combined use of technological instrumentation and manual skill. An unexpected dialogue between the beauty of materials that have been formed over millennia and the lightning speed of thought. I Want It Wow, the title of the project-installation, stimulates the senses but also the imagination and thought.

 via della Spiga 31 WOODY & MIA pouf design Giorgetti

ANTOLINI  piazza Fontana/via San Clemente

1 BRECHE FANTASTIQUE/ BIANCO LASA COVELANO VENA ORO

2 DALMATA/AMAZONITE

3 CALCITE AZUL/NOIRBLANC

Time rediscovered

Designing the Hamptons collection, Ramon Esteve has taken his cue from a masterpiece of the American 20th century, the novel The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Sophistication, exclusive quality; but also mystery, intrigue, luxury. Translated into a contemporary language.

A series of pieces with essential but never stripped-down design, where the style emerges in the materials and the details. The structure in glossy coated metal tubing suggests the lightness of docks; that wooden parts that support the armrests remind us of old deck chairs; the wide stripes of the

fabric make reference to beach cabins. An aesthetic vocabulary that speaks of summer, rediscovered time, rituals that are a tribute to the beauty of leisure. An aspirational collection, embodying the American dream and its appealing outdoor lifestyle, calm and relaxed, for enjoyable contemplation.

VONDOM

 Hall 2/M22-M24

1-2 HAMPTONS collection, design Ramon Esteve

ItAll Comes from Above

The Constellation range of lamps designed by architect David Rockwell for Lasvit has seen the addition of some new light fittings. In keeping with the original concept behind the collection, that takes inspiration from the sparkling New York nightscape and the suggestion of the iconic celestial view that decorates the entire vault of Grand Central Terminal at Manhattan, the new lamps recall three constellations. Ursa Minor, that borrows its name from one of the most impressive groups of stars, is an elegant chandelier; Cassiopeia, that also takes its name from an important constellation, is a new wall light; finally

Gemini extends the range of lamps with a table version. The three pieces are the latest additions to the range that already includes a horizontal suspension, a wall light and a floor lamp, expression of the constellations Cassiopeia, Tri Star and Polaris.

LASVIT

 Hall 15/212

CONSTELLATION lamp, design David Rockwell

YOUR INSIDE, OUTDOOR

Mondsee, Austria. 30th July, 3 pm New comfort and total privacy. Perspective from your point of view.

Bioclimatic pergola Connect pratic.it

AI vs. human creativity?

Progresses made in artificial intelligence have given rise to software and platforms that are able to compose music, create works of art, design objects, write a song or a poem in complete autonomy. Does all this help and inspire the human creative process or does it question it? AI can inspire new, agile approaches; it enables the passage from pure imagination to tangible development to take place very quickly, exploiting and combining unexpected and diverse sources of information. In the field of design and architecture, many are asking themselves: will creatives continue to do their jobs if there is an artificial intelligence that can replace them? However, that’s not exactly how it is. The right question is: what is the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence? AI and creativity are two fundamaentally different concepts: the first analyses and interprets data, following a set of instructions, while creativity is relating things that at first sight may seem to be distant from one another, looking at a problem from different angles, finding unexpected solutions. AI however can aid creative processes by automating certain activities - for example helping, with its generative speed, in the brainstorming phase. We wanted to ask studios of architecture and design what they thought, formulating six questions from which they had to select two. Some preferred not to respond while others declined by replying that nothing could be further from their design approach. Among the thousands of inventions received with scepticism one comes to mind: movable type printing. Not everyone welcomed this revolution with enthusiasm. In his In Praise of Scribes, from 1492, the abbot Johannes Trithemius decreed the moral superiority of copying writing by hand. Ironically, his words found diffusion precisely thanks to movable type printing. And in the first fifty years following Gutenberg’s invention, around eight million books were printed in Europe. Changing the history of the world.

by Marina Jonna

What is the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence? We asked architecture and design firms to answer two of the questions below. Here are their answers.

1. Does AI technology that generates images with textual input elevate human creativity or make it obsolete?

2. Can technological tools come to replace professionals in the creative sector? Will we see some professions disappear and new ones emerge?

3. In some contexts, robots increase job opportunities. In your opinion, could this also be the case?

4. Is there a machine and/or software that you wish you could use but does not yet exist?

5. Will the way you design be affected by technological evolution?

6. Does it make sense in your opinion to equate human creativity and “artificial creativity”? Is a deep interaction between them possible?

ACPV ARCHITECTS

Replies by Paolo Mazza, partner of the studio

2. In a certain sense the answer is yes. Though I believe that machines and software will never be able to replace people, they will change the way we work. We will concentrate much more on data and input, and less on execution. In our work, technological tools can speed up design processes – but they can’t fix everything. I’m talking about the sphere of perception: there are spaces where you need to create a sensation of welcome, while others foster personal interaction. These aspects cannot be measured, so it is very hard to use the complete force of the software. 5. With recent developments in the field of AI, it is possible that also in architecture we will be seeing powerful technological infrastructures, which equipped with solutions of machine learning and deep learning will be able to analyze huge quantities of data for the development of buildings that will improve our quality of life.

BIG-GAME

2. Automatic translation is a great way to communicate quickly in a different language, but translators have not gone out of jobs, simply the way translators work is just different – it is now more about fine-tuning and checking computer-generated translations. In the creative field too, there are numerous examples of computer-assisted processes that modify the way we work. No profession will disappear completely, they will simply evolve. 6. Navigation programs can help you get to your destination faster, even if you know the way, because they can warn you against traffic jams. But if you go somewhere you don’t know, they allow you to find your way directly, which is amazing. The creative tools will probably work a bit in the same way.

ANGELETTI RUZZA

1. We believe that human creativity will always be superior, in any context. Someone said the heart belongs to us and no technological tool will ever have a heart like ours. In the heart we have poetry, soul, magic. We see marvelous things being done with new software and new technologies. New conquests in the field of architecture, graphics and design. But we are thrilled by our eyes, not those of a computer. 5. We have already been influenced. We began by using the drafting machine and the airbrush to “color” our projects. We bought a computer and a printer and they just sat there for months, because we didn’t really know what to do with them. Today we use powerful software to make renders, and programs for models. But we still verify our ideas on paper, using a pencil. We will continue to use technologies and programs, to be quicker and clearer in our presentations to clients, but the design method will always be connected with ideas and pencils.

GIULIO CAPPELLINI

2. Technological tools can and should help professionals in the creative sector, but the human involvement can never be replaced. These tools can undoubtedly create perfectly useful and functional objects, but with a level of surprise equal to zero. The roles of many professionals are rapidly changing: managing technology will clearly be a profession of the future.

6. It makes no sense to put human and digital creativity on the same plane. A correct interaction of the two can certainly be reached. We are going through a period in which we see projects of high quality but low creativity, far from the courageous creations that make the history of contemporary design. Let’s try to prevent further uniformity, erasing the signs of human ingenuity.

CARLO COLOMBO

2. Absolutely yes. Apart from a consolidated approach in the design phase, I immediately started to experiment with the world of AI. Together with my team, we have devoted time to experimentation in this area, using software like Midjourney, for example, an extremely powerful tool “trained” to develop billions of images and text, giving back an artistic result. Today it is part of a workflow I cannot live without. 3. Data processing systems have evolved to the point that AI can effectively help in the invention of ideas. Artificial intelligence create the image for us; so where can we find the human-artistic contribution in the making of these contents? This is the point of interaction; it is precisely in communication with artificial intelligence that we can find the human contribution: in the ability to clearly sum up a concept that has not yet been visually expressed.

DEBONADEMEO

1. Human creativity is a form of technology itself, that feeds on experience and knowledge. Text input is processed by AI, but it is generated by the user who defines its entity, its juxtaposition and verbal value. 6. In our view it is not only possible, but the interaction is necessary as well. To create means doing, and every action requires expertise, but also a taste for risk and novelty, using all possible tools as long as they are guided by knowledge and awareness. The same goes for AI, through strings of text – if you ask the right questions, you will get the best answers.

2&6. Due to pure frenzy, the world today tries to clumsily gauge the success of an idea only from its result, and I think that in this context speed can be confused with efficacy. For me, artificial intelligence is and will remain a tool. Seeing human creativity as obsolete is extraordinarily unrealistic, in my view. Human perception of the world is an unfathomable mystery, the interplay between logical and sensory connections makes us competitive, to triumph over any computer that has been generated by us. The complexity of sight and hearing, touch or smell, the culture of error and the beauty of useless things are human tendencies that AI is ontologically unable to grasp, or at least unable to do so with the elegance of human beings, the result of instincts honed over thousands of years. So I think of AI as a useful tool for the technical world, for calculation, for the prediction of scenarios, as happens today in generative design, with amazing potential. This does not rule out the idea that we can use AI to generate art or creativity, but the work of art has to be identified in the process of generation of the input required by the computer, so it can begin to work.

1. I think human creativity is much more based on the individual experience, intuition and emotions. I do not see here a competitor at all. It is the same with a hand sketch, there you can find always the very personal touch and spontaneous attitude which is impossible to achieve with AI. 2. I prefer the idea of working together, on one hand with traditional thinking based on our human norms and behaviors and on the other hand the technological progress. Here it is more important to set general conditions to respect the human cultures and rights. We are already in this metamorphosis from a very man made driven production to a more AI driven one. Still we need to understand that technology or machines are not the better craftsmen at all.

MATALI CRASSET

1 . It is undoubtedly interesting in intellectual terms, as is ChatGPT, but nevertheless when asked if mare’s eggs are larger than those of a dinosaur, ChatGPT responds that they are rarer. For me, architecture is above all a relationship with the client and the discussion of a “program.” How can we exercise the critical meaning of the project with AI? In my view, a project has meaning only if it is seen as a response to a context and an ecosystem. It has to be framed and contextualized. 2 . This is a debate that is far from new, having existed since the days of the Luddites in 19th-century England. In our context of climate crisis and passage to an ecological society, we can also ask ourselves about the price of these new methods in terms of energy, calculation and memory, while a human being seated at a table thinks and reproduces with a pencil. Aren’t these methods equally obsolete, or are they the symbol of an ecocide, like commercial space flights?

DRAGA & AUREL

1. Human creativity is also made of emotion, manual skill, ingenuity, and in this sense it cannot be completely replaced by artificial intelligence. Technology will increasingly be a partner in creative professions, providing tools to simplify and optimize work and production.  3. The second could not exist without the first, and precisely for this reason they cannot be placed on the same plane. The challenge for the future will be “staying human,” in the creative process and every aspect of life.

GAMFRATESI

2. Design is often a combination of logic and creativity. Both have to coexist. Technological tools help us to speed up the combinations and possibilities during the process, but we are not sure that these combinations can replace human intuition and sensitivity.  5. If there are programs or tools that facilitate the practical part of work, they will obviously be introduced, but an analog, manual part will never be forgotten – this may be nostalgia, but it will remain part of our work process.

MASSIMO IOSA GHINI

3. Asimov’s dream of robots at the service of humankind is filtered by the dystopian visions of Philip Dick, with the doubt and suspicion that something will go wrong.

4. What is lacking in our civilization of the imagination is a composer of atoms that makes it possible to put words into concrete order. AI brings the concrete formulation of our ideas closer to us, bringing the atom closer to the bit, as foreseen by Negroponte. Clearly certain passages are missing to make complex functions practicable, but the impression is that the path towards automation by AI of our lives has been traced, and is clearly visible today. It is equally true that whether this will generate better conditions of existence remains to be demonstrated. Like all tools, first you have to understand them and then to optimize their use, in the hope that they will remain tools.

Mattia Aquila, Piero Gemelli, Gabi Gertser, Julien Jouanjus, Petra Kleis, Alessandro Moggi

JACOPO FOGGINI

SEBASTIAN HERKNER

Ecos – sustainable circular economy

The virtuous use of the wood.

ROBERTO LAZZERONI

1. Artificial intelligence and robotics face us with innovations and challenges, but also with new questions: is human creativity elevated or surpassed by AI technology? I believe technology is a tool at the service of mankind; in a dystopian vision of the future, we can think of different scenarios, if we do not put the progress of the human being at the center. 5. Our way of design has always been influenced by technological evolution. My generation started out with drafting machines, with lead and ink on tracing paper. Computers and all the programs were a true revolution that has changed the work of the designer in important ways. I think AI technology will change it even more.

MAP PROJECT

Emilie Robinson, Lead Designer at Map

2. Some professions will disappear as automation increases but the creative opportunities that will emerge as technological tools advance are super exciting. I see it as a new creative challenge, a chance for designers to equip themselves for the future world. 6. For me, human creativity is something that can’t be replicated. Artificial creativity can have a positive impact in a range of industries but it doesn’t capture the joy of design in the same way - celebrating the process, failing and learning from it, interacting and connecting with people. Design should always be human-centred. At Map Project Office, we focus on the blend between the digital and the physical. It’s our responsibility as designers to explore and redefine deeper interactions between human and machine.

1. I asked ChatGPT to answer this! The use of artificial intelligence technology (AI) to generate images starting from text input can be seen as an opportunity or as a challenge for human creativity. On the one hand, AI can help to free human creativity, enabling it to generate ideas and images that would otherwise be hard to invent or to make. For example, designers can use AI to rapidly create design sketches based on text descriptions, which helps them to experiment with and process ideas in a quicker, more efficient way. On the other hand, the use of AI to generate images could also undermine human creativity in certain cases. For example, if the technology becomes so advanced that it can generate images that seem very realistic, designers could become dependent on AI to create work in their stead, rather than trying to develop their own creative ideas. In general, AI can be a powerful tool to improve human creativity, but it is important that professionals remain aware of its limits and continue to develop their own creative ability in an independent way. 4. At times I would like to have a machine that can modify time.

PIERO LISSONI

4 . No, there isn’t – it is enough to use one’s brain. 5 . My way of designing has always been influenced by technology, and it will be in the future. Being a designer does not mean only working on style; there is always an interaction with technology and innovation, and the worlds often mingle: technology influences style and vice versa.

ALBERTO MEDA

2. Professionals who develop ideas based on a linguistic type of approach may be impressed, while those who use a “constructive” approach, developing ideas and putting them into form, consistent with the physicality of a material and its technique, will not be impressed at all! Because they know the potentialities, as sentient beings. AI doesn’t know what a cat is, it only knows the set of pixels that represent the cat. 5. Yes, because the new technologies are “storerooms” of creative suggestions.

MIST-O

1. It could elevate creativity if a direction exists, upstream, towards which to move, and an idea of what we want to obtain in order to control the output. Otherwise we don’t know if we can still call it creativity. 3. As with any revolution, new work opportunities will increase and be born, but at the expense of many existing categories. The risk is that the expenses will be too high and man will become “useless.”

PAOLA NAVONE

1. Technology doesn’t scare us. I think the autonomy of AI with respect to human creativity is still far away... I can’t wait until it really works. 6. The interaction between human and artificial creativity is a reality. I think it will be the job of the younger generations to open up to the infinite possibilities technology offers, and to find a way to express beauty, creativity and poetry with new media and new languages. An interesting challenge that will lead to unexpected results, but definitely not to the renunciation of creative thinking.

PALOMBA SERAFINI

Ludovica Serafini

1. I think about the work of Refik Anadol, who has created “Glacier Dreams” using a drone to shoot 4 million images. These images are then processed by software that combines them through mathematical functions, giving them rhythm through music, creating a digital work that continuously evolves. The question is who is the maker of the work: Refik or AI? 2. I have always thought that AI is like a pencil in the hand of a creative person. AI can be an opportunity for the creation of new tools and processes, permitting creative people to explore new frontiers and to generate ideas that would not otherwise have been possible. Human creativity and innovation are fundamental. Technology can improve the creative process, but it cannot replace it.

Conti, Enrico Costantini, Veronica Gaido, Stefano Galuzzi

FRANCESCO MEDA

THE DAILY RELAX

FEDERICO PERI

2. I imagine an increase in the number of programmers and developers, and the new figures connected with the creative process of the world of AI. At the same time, I do not think AI can replace professionals in the creative sector: some of the dynamics will change, but I hope the quality of the product and design culture will be safeguarded. 6. I don’t think so. I believe that the human factor – above all when we’re talking about creativity – still dominates. Creativity is based on dynamics that are hard to decipher; while it can be simulated with algorithms, I don’t think AI will be able to grasp the “unspoken,” sensations, nuances, and everything that is part of the development of a project. Instead, I do believe interaction is possible: if artificial intelligence functions like brainstorming, I think it can be a great research tool.

PIUARCH

Francesco Fresa, Germán Fuenmayor, Gino Garbellini and Monica Tricario

1. Technological tools will have a closer relationship with professionals, to accelerate and augment efficiency in certain operations. But the component of human creativity cannot be replaced, by definition. There will be new professional roles to supplement those that already exist, as happens for all fields in evolution and expansion. 3. Human creativity and artificial creativity are two fields that meet up more and more in our work, but the human component will always guide the creative process to offer spaces that have the idea of wellbeing and social interaction as their central focus.

RAW EDGES

2. Probably creative professionals will have to be really good in what they are doing, keep exploring, re-inventing and going deeper in their fields of interest. Anything flat and average would be easily replaced by technological tools. 4. Probably a Teleporter... Imagine being able to move location instantly! In some ways, zoom does that... but it’s only suitable for work purposes, it doesn’t replace social needs nor exploring new destinations. Nowadays with zoom we can have several meetings a day, discussing projects in Japan, Scandivia and the Middle East all in a course of a few hours.

INGA SEMPÉ

1. I may be naive but I guess human creativity won’t be obsolete. But clichés will spred even more rapidly. 5. Design is always affected by technological evolution.

PININFARINA

Giovanni de Niederhausern, Senior VP Pininfarina Architecture

4 . The question we ask ourselves, almost all of us, regarding artificial intelligence, is if it is possible to internalize the emotional awareness of the human being, to create a machine and/or a piece of software that can do this. 5 . It is a continuous process, already in progress for a long time: there are tools like Spacemaker and XKool that permit us to increase the performance of the project and therefore to focus on strategic, not merely aesthetic, aspects. If instead we are referring to a technological evolution in a wider sense, AI will also redefine our way of doing research: while today we use search engines, in the future the process of gaining information will be based on AI.

MATTEO RAGNI

2. They have been doing this for years, or rather they are making it much easier and faster for professionals in certain operational aspects, and this is a good thing. The risk, as always, is that we move towards a flattening of results with a consequent lack of peaks of excellence, but perhaps this is also related to an issue of taste trends. 4. It would be ideal to have software that assesses, before a meeting, the courage, vision and real will of entrepreneurs to invest in innovation and development, avoiding us designers and consultants useless waste of time.

ELENA SALMISTRARO

2. I tried Midjourney out of curiosity, putting in some inputs and waiting for the image. The result was not great, but the turnaround time was incredible. I had the feeling of being in front of a big blender: insert, blend and get it quickly. No doubt, in the future, this system will help us visualise ideas very quickly and probably give us more time to focus on aspects such as concept, aesthetics and design. However, the final choice will always remain ours, as will choosing the right fruit and the right quantities. 5. If by ‘way’ we mean the process of making, then certainly yes. Technological evolution has always profoundly changed the design process, making it faster, more precise and more effective, opening the way to new areas and disrupting the relationship between designer and user. Practical examples: CAD software, 3D printers, tablets for drawing, sharing methods and, finally, social and interactive platforms or blogs.

LEONARDO TALARICO

2. Certain professions will be hit hard: I am referring to the technical development of the project. But new professions will emerge, with the purpose of establishing dialogue with these tools. 5. There will be help on the side of the project, but without influencing the creative part. Design identity and coherence are the key factors of my path of work.

Tommaso Balasso, Mark Cocksedge, Rasmus Lindahl, Max Rommel, Julia Scribani Rossi

Talents to protect our future

by Anna Casotti

Spain ALLCA

Her professional experience is in fine art, design, and applied arts. Fascinated by screen printing, illustration, fashion, and textiles, Haizea Nájera founded the rug brand Allca to create unique pieces woven with plastic waste from rivers and seas. “My work is highly intersectional. Every day I strive to find new ways to tie together different aspects of my ever-chang ing, expanding experience. I’m always ready for new creative challenges.” NeraEra calls the Allca brand a blank canvas for customization and collaboration to create small, refined collections that mix art and design. Sustainable textile works made in the name of conscious design. “Now more than ever, design must improve society and the environment, so this project started with that premise.” www.allcarugs.com

The new design on display at the Salone Satellite space of the Salone del Mobile is all about sustainable fabrics, material experimentation, cultural icons, and traditional inspiration. Milan is honoring designers under 35, manual skill, and shapes that translate local heritage into ultra-contemporary pieces. It is a celebration of conscious design that perfectly balances technology and craft, form and function, analog and digital, aesthetics and ethics; a creative process that is reimagining the future.

Finland

ANTREI HARTIKAINEN

As a master cabinetmaker and designer, he takes a sculptural approach by turning his preferred material of wood into artworks that combine elegance, sensuality, lightness, and craftsmanship, blurring the lines between functional object and artistic artifact. “I try to create unique, practical, well-made products and pieces to show wood’s versatility.” His work has been exhibited in many solo and group shows. www.antreihartikainen.fi

Singapore KARYN LIM

Her multidisciplinary studio specializes in material experimentation to create contemporary products. Working with brands and artisans, she designs everything from home decor and furnishings to clothing, fragrances, and accessories. “Design improves everyday life by transforming common materials and techniques into objects of beauty.” Her trademark sculptural, lightweight pieces include copper-wire objects and vessels hand-woven using the crochet technique. www.karynlim.com

Photo © Sayher Heffernan, Ville Vappula

Japan AIOI

With an environmental design degree from Tokyo’s Tama Art University, Yugo Fukasawa opened his studio aioi in 2018 to focus on product and interior design for stores, restaurants, offices, and showrooms. His philosophy involves an attention to detail regarding the founding concepts of creative practice: function, material, structure, and aesthetics. The details become functional once assembled into form. www.aioi-design.jp

Switzerland LAURE GREMION

With a degree from ECAL in Lausanne where she opened her studio in 2017, her playful design vision is evident in the sinuous forms and structures of her objects and furnishings. “I’m captivated by contact with the material and exploring different solutions with specialized artisans.” From outdoor products to lighting, to contemporary decor, each piece perfectly blends aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability, as well as a touch of whimsy. www.lauregremion.ch

Germany FELIX ANGERMEYER

With a B.A. from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, he founded his design studio in Cologne in 2015 and specializes in new industrial-design and furnishing solutions for start-ups, companies, and agencies. Believing that form, function, and aesthetics must remain in perfect balance, his underlying philosophy is tied to sustainability and harmonious integration and dialogue between products and context. His studio uses the latest technology to create refined, poetic objects and furnishings. “Some design objects attract you at first glance. With sophisticated materials and slender proportions that favor functionality, the whole appears coherent, strong, and essential. This is what makes design so appealing and is the goal of my creative process.”

www.felixangermeyer.com

Italy STUDIO WA+CH

“We are a collaborative studio with an inspiring vision. Our creative process blends observation, experience, materials, technology, and beauty.” Based in Milan, WA+CH was founded in 2017 by two Taiwanese designers, Wei Chih Chen and Fuhua Wang. Guided by a poetic vision, they take observation as their inspiration to create timeless, minimalist items.

www.waplusch.com

Belgium MARIANNE DE COCK

With degrees in interior design from the Luca School of Arts in Ghent and furniture design from the Thomas More University in Mechelen, she began her professional career at Atelier Ternier, known in Belgium for the production of prototypes for architects and designers. Marianne has had a true passion for wood since taking a carpentry course in high school and is especially intrigued by laminate. Her studio creates sinuous shapes with this material, fashioning tables, stools, and customizable totemic floor lamps. “Surface modeling adds unusual visual depth to home decor.” The furniture and light sculp tures are highly contemporary, with unexpected outlines and curved shapes carved into the material. “I make everything by hand; each piece has its own identity. Everything is about speed and mass market these days, but I want to keep all that outside my production process.”

www.mariannedecock.com

Mexico COLECCIÓN ESTUDIO

Based in Mexico City and Querétaro, the studio was founded by three Mexican designers – Andrés Cacho, Daniel Martínez, and Manuel López – who explore the intersections between art, craft, and design. Viewing Mexico’s rich heritage through a modern lens, they design and hand-make locally inspired creations in their own workshop. The painstakingly crafted sculptural objects have an iconic aesthetic and connect to living spaces on an emotional level.

www.coleccionestudio.com

Photo © Sam Gilbert, Hiris Images, Kaatje Verschoren

France ALEXANDRE DELASALLE

After studying product design at the’École Boulle in Paris, he got a communications degree from the Eindhoven Design Academy in Holland. As an artist-designer, he creates graphics, prints, products, and whimsical educational installations. “For me design is a playful way to investigate and discuss the social impact of current aesthetic standards. Various forms and materials can result, and the domes tic space is a fascinating platform for formal experimentation.” He is attracted by objects’ cultural value and considers 2-D formats like illustrations or product images as a starting point for the creative process. “Images can be approached more systemically and their production process is more understandable. You can define a framework precisely and expand it, which doesn’t mean the product has to follow a strict ‘graphic design.’ Most formal graphic vocabulary stimulates the senses indirectly and is exciting to reuse in designs or installations.”

www.alexandredelasalle.com

Germany STUDIO.MCE

After earning a B.A. and an M.A. in product design from the University of the Arts Berlin, Merlin C. Everding opened studio.mce in Berlin in 2019 and moved to Essen in 2022. His studio offers creative direction, lighting design, furnishings, interiors, and decor, including unique made-to-order pieces. Each creation synthesizes design history, functionality, innovative technology, and the digital world, with a focus on human habits and good design. In 2021, he won the One&Twenty World’s Finest Design Talents Award. www.studiomce.de

Denmark

ZARA ADLER

“My creative process deals with paradoxes that can become spectacular objects, establishing connections and breathing in the light and atmosphere around them. My installations and products form dynamic patterns that constantly change and interact with their context.” With architecture degrees from Spain and Denmark, Adler uses analog and digital manufacturing methods to transform abandoned objects like plastics from the ocean or locally collected building materials into tactile, chromatic design pieces.

www.zaraadler.com

24 hours in Milan

The ever-evolving capital of design

by Giulia Guzzini

Milan has an understated charm. It is not a city that hits you right from the start. It doesn’t have the majestic beauty of Rome, nor is it an open-air theatre like Venice, it doesn’t have the dizzying skyscrapers of New York or the elegant boulevards of Paris. Its beauty lies hidden in the courtyards of the palazzi in the city centre, in cobbled streets that lead to unexpected openings. Able to connect old and new, tradition and innovation, it is a city that is continually evolving and once again this year confirms its role as the international capital of design. The history of design, the roots of which lie in the manufacturing fabric of the ever-industrious Brianza, continues to be the protagonist in a narrative that finds space in museums of design with tales of the future and of innovation: from ADI to the Triennale, along with Foundations associated with the great maestri such as Studio Museo Achille Castiglioni, Fondazione Franco Albini and the Fondazione Studio Museo Vico Magistretti. Then we have the artisan workshops and the studios of design and architecture that open up to the public during Design Week to share thoughts and projects. Milan

looks a bit different at this edition of Design Week with lots of new spaces that have been opened in the name of design and a completely renewed district: Milano Design District. What we knew as the Milano Durini District has in fact been renamed the Milano Design District to represent a category – that of design excellence – rather than a geographical district. The association, which aims to cross the 50-member mark by the end of the year, is in fact extending beyond the quadrilateral around Via Durini and the neighbouring streets and embraces some of the most prestigious spaces in the centre of Milan, extending towards Piazza Fontana, Corso Monforte and Foro Buonaparte. Milano Design Distric presents a series of evocative installations entitled Urban Metamorphosis, an evocative title with which the association aims to strengthen the link with the city administration to underline its commitment to urban regeneration. In the photo above: an immersive installation by the Turkish studio Nohlab realised for MEET Digital Culture Center, the International Centre for Digital Art and Culture.

Photo © Roberto Conti

1 | CAPPELLINI via Santa Cecilia 4

Cappellini makes its outdoor debut with the Lido collection, product families signed by the Italian design duo BrogliatoTraverso and Swedish designer Jangir Maddadi.

2 | SAINT-LOUIS piazza del Carmine

Saint-Louis showcases a series of installations revealing the innovative aspects of the first crystal manufacture in continental Europe, founded in 1586.

3 | JCP UNIVERSE via Cesare Correnti 11

At the Arsenale Theatre, JCP Universe brings Meta-Physical, an installation involving the construction of its first proprietary metaverse and the creation of furniture products in the form of NFT.

4 | CONTARDI corso Monforte 20

In the light district, Contardi opens its first flagship store: a 5-metre height space that allows scenographic installations and where light is the protagonist.

5 | DOLCE&GABBANA CASA via Broggi 23

The Gen D - Generazione Designer project stems from a desire to support emerging designers, just as the company has done over the years with young fashion talents.

6 | GROHE via Brera 28

For the launch of its premium sub-brand, the company celebrates its passion for water with an immersive installation reflecting the architecture of the Pinacoteca di Brera.

1 | GIOPATO&COOMBES via San Maurilio 19

Known for their poetic handicraft collections, the designer duo presents 18 Pockets, an immersive exhibition on how precious objects are timeless emotional activators.

2 | FENIX® via Quintino Sella 1

On the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary, the Milan showroom is transformed into an open-air stage that will host an installation by Zanellato/Bortotto.

3 | HERMÈS via Palermo 10

Also this year at the Pelota, Hermès creations for the home will be presented, drawing their aesthetics from a form of archaism, natural vigour and purity.

4 | INGO MAURER piazzale Principessa Clotilde

The German brand presents itself in Milan with an exciting open-air light installation at the Caselli di Porta Nuova, while the new products will be presented inside the space.

5 | GIORGETTI via della Spiga 31

In the famous fashion district, Giorgetti inaugurates ‘The Place’, a container of wonders where each floor is a discovery between iconic products and new furnishing proposals.

6 | PORRO via Visconti di Modrone 29

Porro changes house and moves into a brick building in, where he displays an immersive three-colour installation and a story that travels through time and space.

7

The group exhibition Abrakadabra, realised with the artistic advice of Jean Blanchaert, once again brings the magic of glass to the 19th-century halls of the Isituto dei Ciechi.

The historic Brianza-based company specialising in solid wood processing has found a home in Milan with its first flagship store in the city centre.

The Giussano-based company renovates its Milanese outpost in the heart of Brera. Enlarged and renovated, the exhibition space houses the brand’s first outdoor collection.

Signature Kitchen Suite hosts True to Food Lab, an experiential journey through the innovations in digital agriculture that are rewriting the future of the food supply chain.

Giorgio Armani opens for the first time to the public the doors of Palazzo Orsini, the company’s historic headquarters, to present the novelties of the Armani/ Casa collection.

Moscova 33

Argentinian artist and designer Cristián Mohaded will create a monumental installation in the Cortile della Seta (Silk Courtyard) at the LoroPiana headquarters in Brera.

1 | WONDERGLASS via Vivaio

2 | RIVA 1920 via Visconti di Modrone 8

3 | MOLTENI&C. via Solferino corner via Pontaccio

4 | SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE via Manzoni 47

5 | ARMANI CASA via Borgonuovo 11

6 | LOROPIANA INTERIORS via della

Ideas & the city

For one week, the city opens up and becomes a container of creativity. In a dimension of celebration and urban exploration that has become a hallmark of Milan Design Week. From museums to secret addresses, an Ariadne’s thread that traverses and reinvents urban spaces

by Umberta Genta

1 | CONSTANCE GUISSET STUDIO

Institut Français Milano, corso Magenta 63

Famous for her ergonomic and delicate creations, the French designer invites the public to discover and try out objects in a scenographic surprise party.

2 | DUSON GALLERY SEOUL

viale Emilio Alemagna 6

6 side tables by international designers (in the photo Fiore Fossile by Marcel Wanders) reinterpret the oriental tradition of mother-of-pearl in the exhibition “Mother-of-Pearl Tables”.

3 | CLAIRE FONTAINE via Bergognone 34

The conceptual artist illuminates the spaces of the ground hall at Base with an immersive installation, articulated on large LED phrases that present questions and provocations.

4 | STORIES OF ITALY

viale Molise 62

Milanese design studio presents Broken Charm, an eccentric installation made up of a chandelier-jewel and an outsize bracelet in Murano glass and brass.

5 | CRISTINA CELESTINO via Arimondi 15

In the project “Clay Court Club”, the designer gives a new and timeless look to a jewel of Milanese architecture from the 1920s: the Milano Bonacossa Tennis Club.

6 | DOPPIAFIRMA

corso Magenta 24

24 partnerships between design and highly-skilled artisans. In the photo Esther Patterson, founder of blown-glass lighting brand Curiousa, working with designer Adam Nathaniel Furman.

7 | LOUISA WOLF via Bergognone 34

In the project Botanical Role Play, Rotterdam-based designer identifies similarities between the world of plants and gender studies. To be discovered in the “Temporary Home” section.

8 | DRAGA & AUREL via Matteo Bandello 14

The multidisciplinary design studio presents the transparent Ray lamps, elements that form part of a scenographic installation installed at Rossana Orlandi’s gallery space.

9 | RE;CODE

Tunnel 44, via Sammartini

The Korean sustainable fashion brand brings together 9 groups of Asian designers who engage in recycling and upcycling generating curious and unexpected designs.

10 | GLO largo Treves 1

The brand collaborates with artist Agostino Iacurci, inviting visitors to imagine the planet of the future, immersed in the colours of the installation Dry Days, Tropical Nights.

11 | GOOGLE via Archimede 26

Together with artist Lachlan Turczan, Google Design Studio have designed Shaped by Water, a sensory installation articulated around water as an inspiration for design.

Dario Buratto, Gavin Repton, Charlotte Robin

1 | PAOLA NAVONE via Tortona 31

A fun initiative around the idea of a circular economy, the free lottery Take It or Leave It offers an eclectic collection of objects belonging to the designer.

2 | CASA ORNELLA via Conca del Naviglio 10

Designer Maria Vittoria Paggini opens the doors of her home-gallery: her creations (in the photo the Sandro e Raimondo table), are merged with a group exhibition of emerging designers.

3 | ISOLA DESIGN GALLERY via Pastrengo 14

A space dedicated to collectable pieces made by designers and independent studios with a focus on Dutch design curated by Wisse Trooster.

4 | CAMPO BASE

viale Orobia 11

9 Italian architecture practices describe different concepts of domestic intimacy. In the photo, the project Ammonite by Giuliano Andrea Dell’Uva. Curated by Federica Sala.

5 | FFERRONE via Villa Mirabello 6

The collection of glasses by the American brand glows in an atmospheric staging in Yves Klein blue, “Still Now. The dinner”, created with vintage tableware.

6 | FORUM8 via Tortona 27

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Maria Vittoria Paggini

1 | MASTERLY - THE DUTCH IN MILANO piazza dei Mercanti 2

The tables in brass, stone and nickel by designer Nancy Torreele shine in the new location of the exhibition-event given over to Dutch creativity.

2 | SLOWHAND DESIGN THAILAND BY DITP via Tortona 27

The best of Thai design based on the reuse of industrial materials stands out among the most significant Asian presentations in the exhibition “Asian R-Evolution”.

3 | THE NEW RAW viale Molise 62

The Rotterdam-based studio of research and design presents a collection of playful and tactile chairs covered by a continuous thread of recycled plastic sculpted in 3D.

4 | MAISON MARCOUX MEXICO via del Gesù 5

The maison presents the collection Heritage, fruit of the synergy between the ancestral skills of Mexican craft and a contemporary approach to design.

5 | VOLUMEUNO X GIO TIROTTO viale Molise 62

The new Italian kitchen brand Volumeuno tells its story through a series of live performance that depict “dwelling volumes” that are flexible, enveloping and customisable.

6 | BUDAPEST SELECT viale Molise 62

The Hungarian brand makes its debut at design week with collections by 37 designers, linked by expressive research that celebrates harmony between tradition and experimentation.

7 | PIERO LISSONI / SANLORENZO via Festa del Perdono 7

Installation that animates the exhibition-event by Interni in the courtyards of the Statale. La Macchina Impossible reproduces a series of elements of boats from the future.

8 | HANA KARIM via Santa Marta 18

The Slovenian designer reassembles remnants and fragments of crockery; new combinations suggest the value of imperfection, displayed in the collective “Prendete e mangiate”.

9 | FLUENTE E UNUSLAB via Tortona 27

The vision of ceramicists (Fluente) meets manufacturing expertise (Unuslab): giving rise to an outdoor collection in recycled stoneware, based on experiments with 3D printing.

10 | THIRD FLOOR via Tortona 27

The London-based collective lands in Milan with a playful collection entitled Objections. In the photo, a sculpture in terracotta by Israeli artist Adì Adivani.

11 | ASSAB ONE via Privata Assab 1

Designer Giacomo Moor worked with young people from the slums of Mathare, Nairobi to create the furniture featured in the exhibition “Design For Communities”, presented by the NGO Liveinslums.

1 | YAMAHA DESIGN LABORATORY via Maroncelli 14

The design studio of this prestigious brand has come up with a range of furniture and accessories specially devised for musicians to facilitate their practice.

2 | NATHAN YONG

Casa del Pane, Bastioni di Porta Venezia

The designer brings the work Bended onyx to “Future Impact”: a look at Singaporean design orientated towards sustainability, curated by Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero.

3 | EXHIBIT via Bergognone 34

A research platform that identifies democratic design as its focal point. Curated by universities, multidisciplinary collectives and emerging talents.

4 | THIS IS DENMARK

viale Molise 62

A dive into the history of of Danish design through the stories of 15 products and companies, protagonists in an experiential exhibition that recreates an evocative natural landscape.

2 | GALERIE PHILIA

San Vittore e Quaranta Martiri, viale Lucania 18

A deconsecrated church hosts Desacralized, an exhibition that explores the meaning of desacralisation with a series of all-white works by around twenty designers.

6 | CENGIZ HARTMANN

viale Molise 62

The poetry of the essential: welcome to the world of Cengiz Hartmann, one of the protagonists of the contemporary craft movement, that fills the spaces of a former slaughterhouse.

by Salvatore Peluso

SEEING SPACES

Photographer Hélène Binet will be one of the protagonists of the upcoming Salone del Mobile.Milano (inside Euroluce, to be precise, for one of its special events), with a solo show curated by Massimo Curzi on the relationship between natural light and architecture.

“I often photograph details. Because it is impossible to tell a complete story of the works of architecture and the places I visit, it would be madness. What do I do with an image? I try to suggest something, leaving the observer the possibility of adding something else with the imagination, as happens with books. The image does not have to be too finished, it should give you a chance to incorporate your own experience,” says Hélène Binet, an internationally renowned photographer who across 40 years of her career has immortalized contemporary and historical architecture, following the progress of some of the most important architects on the global scene. First of all: Zaha Hadid. Together with her, We have chosen and talked about ten fragments of her career: ten details, ten shots that represent her approach, and the salient moments of her experience.

Photo © Hélène Binet

1 Looking at these walls of gardens in China, we can imagine the stratification of events, stories and legends. Dampness, moss and vegetation create new landscapes that leave lots of space for the imagination.

2. The bridge by the engineer Sergio Musmeci in Potenza is a revolutionary project that has inspired many contemporary architects, including Zaha Hadid. This infrastructure has an animal-like appearance, a brute force that suggests the force of nature. Yet at the same time it is a very delicate work, in which the human touch can be seen. Obviously, in the 1970s today’s technologies did not exist, and to make the curved formwork Musmeci relied on Neapolitan shipbuilders. The brutality of the bridge, combined with this aspect of craftsmanship, makes the bridge over the Basento a unique project.

3. In 2002 the DAM museum in Frankfurt commissioned me to make a photo essay on shadow and light in architecture. I immediately thought about Le Corbusier, who was a master of control of light, and of the monastery of Sainte Marie de La Tourette. I found a microcosm of people who live here, who come to terms with its sacred character, and have private moments and community life. I wanted to study how the shadows accompany the fathers in their everyday life, and how Le Corbusier orchestrated their everyday dimension. Here I understood how hard it is to photograph shadow, which cannot be seen without light. Usually we have the instinct of framing the light. We are attracted to it more than anything else. Photographing shadow, on the other hand, is like depicting the void, nothingness. For me, this was a very important moment of contemplation and reflection. In short, I was faced with a masterpiece.

4. This is a house in Mallorca, where Jørn Utzon went to live late in his life. It is not a comfortable, attractive vacation home, but a harsh location, intentionally exposed to weather, where the architect retreated from the world. My photographs show the relationship between architecture, wind and the sea. The place seems to have been designed precisely to receive these elements.

5. The Intimacy of Making is a book on traditional Korean architecture, on which I have worked for over four years. There is a lot of talk about historical architecture in China and Japan, but Korean architecture is still little known in the western world, though it is a way of thinking very close to my own: it does not seek perfection, but uses natural movements in relation to simple elements. Emptiness and the unfinished are fundamental factors for Korean architecture, because they constitute an invitation to take part in it.

6. I have also chosen one of my pictures of the quarries in Carrara. Here I am reflecting on the violence inflicted on nature, which unfortunately often creates the basis for the construction of architecture and the creation of beauty. With my images I wanted to show the human side of the work there, inserting certain details that reflect the labor and effort that take place in these spaces.

7. Sigurd Lewerentz is a Swedish architect who is simultaneously rational and emotional. For this church many decisions were made during the design phase, but then there were also options taken on the worksite. He told the workers where to position the bricks, and how to define the various details of the construction, at the site, in relation to light and the surrounding nature. This factor of improvisation, of following the sensations of the moment and reacting to what can be seen, is also a part of my own practice. When I have to photograph a building I always try to let myself be surprised, though I do arrive after preparation, with a precise idea of what I am going to do.

8. Zaha Hadid was an architect who revolutionized our way of thinking about space. I met her when I was very young, and she was a major influence on me. The thing that has always fascinated me about her practice is this sensation that one can always be push further ahead. She truly engaged in battle with gravity throughout her career, and in my photos you can perceive this energy. Thanks to Zaha Hadid I am never satisfied with my work, and I constantly ask myself if I have been able to reach the essence of a work of architecture through images.

9. The collaboration with Peter Zumthor has been very important for my career. I also began working with him when I was very young. He is a person with great discipline, and his work is very much in relation to the natural elements. While photographing Zaha Hadid is extremely difficult, with Zumthor one always has the sensation of being anchored in a moment, of managing to represent everything through abstraction. Zumthor’s architecture gives you peace. Furthermore, he loves and understands photography, so he is an ideal figure with whom to establish a dialogue.

10. I visited Alto Patache, a zone in Chile, in the Acatama Desert. It is an immense fog oasis, a unique place where the vegetation gets water only from the fog, since the annual rainfall is less than 1 mm on average. The people there have invented a water collection system called Cloud Catcher, through which to provide water for the inhabitants of Chungungo, a local finishing village.

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SPACES

116 REFLECTION HOUSE

Bangkok, Thailand AUN Design Studio

117 LETNÁ APARTMENT

Prague | Markéta Bromová architekti

ROOM206

Yokohama, Japan | Daiki Awaya

118 TORRES BLANCAS DUPLEX Madrid | Studio.Noju

V31 PENTHOUSE

Amsterdam | zU-studio

119 APARTMENT AT SAN FREDIANO

Florence, Italy

Pierattelli Architetture

ESPERANZA APARTMENT

Bilbao, Spain | BABELstudio

120 ARCHI-TEXTILE

Trieste, Italy

Studio Marcante-Testa

CASA VELASCA

Milan | m2atelier

121 M51

Turin, Italy

Icona Architetti Associati

ST-GÉRARD RESIDENCE

Montréal | Issadesign

COM PLEX RELA TION SHIPS

Edited by Alessandra Bergamini

The setting is that of an urban residence, in Italy or abroad. From the single-family home on multiple levels to the large duplex, to smaller flats where the plan does not permit big variations. In all the types, the project of reinterpretation and enhancement of the interiors has implied a rigorous, creative sort of surgery, grafting volumes and exploiting areas, in search of different spatial and temporal relationships. A complex grammar of modulation and shaping, taking the form of alternating levels, cubes, islands, voids, sculptural or inhabitable staircases, mobile partitions and curtains, paneling and decorations on walls and ceilings, continuous perspectives and openings towards the sky, terraces and non-terraces, curved pathways, rounded volumes and columns. Strategies and devices aimed not only at shaping new domestic zones, but also at updating meanings and functions in the rhythm of everyday life. Everything becomes more mutable and fascinating thanks to natural light, captured through large or scattered glass openings.

Reflection House

On the lot of a family dwelling, the house on two levels has been redesigned and refurbished with separate but connected spaces, placing the mother’s residence on the ground floor, and the son’s home on the first. The differing lifestyles of the inhabitants have dictated the design choices for the functional zones, though both homes share the same open layout for the living/kitchen zone, and the same full-height lateral windows, facing onto two small gardens, as a source of natural light and ventilation. The connection between the two levels and the ‘two lives’ is a stairwell suspended at the center of the open space. Inspired by the art of origami, it takes over the space with its sculptural character and semi-transparent structure in sheets of white perforated sheet metal, folded to generate a perfect geometric composition. The first three steps, which seem to ‘protrude’ from the floor, are sculpted by concrete. The horizontal and vertical surfaces have the color and texture of structural concrete or white lime. The simple form of the ground floor becomes more complex in the

layout of the upper level, the flat of the young owner. Here a large living area with a small terrace extends first into the bedroom with its own bathroom and closet, and then upward to reach a small fitness room on the loft, under the peak of the irregular double-pitched roof.

Location: Latphrao-Wanghin, Bangkok, Thailand

Architectural & Interior design:

AUN Design Studio

Lighting design: Assoc. Phanchalath Suriyothin, Verapong Eawpanich and AUN Design Studio

Structural engineer: Sitichoke Sirivivat  Photos: Wison Tungthunya & W Workspace

Texts by Alessandra Bergamini and Manuela Di Mari

Letná Apartment

The transformation has been radical. The apartment, with a traditional layout subdivided into various rooms, has become – in keeping with the client’s wishes – a more open and fluid space, pragmatically ‘shaped’ without doors, but with passages and functional divider blocks. After stripping away the original partitions, the raw concrete structure has remained totally exposed, with the regular pattern of the ribbing on the ceiling, and a load-bearing column that divides the view of the kitchen zone in half. The concrete with its sandy color becomes bright white in the open zone for the dining and living areas. The dual everyday rhythm, day and night, private and convivial, is also marked by the insertion in the open plan of a large box with two dies faced in wood: in a teal color with a grosgrain surface, on one side it conceals the kitchen appliances, while on the other it provides space for the wardrobe of the bedroom, placed in the most secluded portion of the flat. The passage to the night zone happens along two different trajectories, one from the kitchen,

room206

the other from the entrance, along a path created between two divider elements faced in dark wood, which function as a bookcase and a storage cabinet. The transformation of the space and the surfaces is completed by the flooring in brushed concrete, utilized throughout the apartment, including the bathroom and shower, to generate a sense of visual uniformity.

Location: Prague

Architecture: Markéta Bromová architekti

Custom made concrete kitchen countertop and sinks: Burning Vibe

Concrete floor screed surface: Concrete Group

Metalwork: DEMO Works

Carpentry: Lemberk

Pivot doors: Dorsis

Furnishings, lighting and fittings: Delta Light, ABB, Waterevolution, Maimana, Brother & Duck, Winckelmans, Monobrand, Zangra

Photos: Veronika Raffajová

Just 75 square meters and a traditional subdivision of space, with many rooms and a wall separating the day and night zones, which limited internal circulation and the flow of light and natural ventilation in the whole flat. This was the situation prior to the refurbishment requested by the owner couple. The well-gauged actions of transformation, namely elimination of the wall, stripping the enclosure down to the concrete structure, and the invention of a central nucleus for spatial and functional mediation between the living and bedroom areas, have generated new and improved livability, with different domestic pathways. The nucleus is not a totally closed box inserted at the center of the plan, but a sort of island with raised tatami flooring, built in wood in a reference to the traditional Japanese style. A textile curtain attached to a track makes it possible to conceal or reveal the space behind it, which can become a private oasis of concentration or rest, or an area of expansion to the living area. Natural wood is the second fixed point of this reinterpretation of

a small urban domestic space: in the parquet and the long boards cladding the floors, the casements, the paneling and the shelving on the walls, as well as wooden furnishings with essential lines.

Location: Yokohama, Japan

Architecture: Daiki Awaya

Photos: Hiroki Kawata

Torres Blancas Duplex

The project by the architects, who are also the owners of the residence, has been a true process of rediscovery and regeneration of the duplex located at the top of the Torres Blancas, a Brutalist landmark created by Javier Sáez de Oíza from 1964 to 1972, and a seminal work of 20th-century architecture. “The most rewarding thing has been the recovery of the curved lines, the interior spatiality of the apartment and the exterior terraces filled with vegetation. Recovering the house-patio relation, turning the terraces into the heart of the house again, was very gratifying.” After careful study of the design from the 1960s, the non-original parts were demolished wherever possible, in order to experiment with bold spatial solutions while introducing new materials, always in dialogue with the building. “The demolition process was like an archeology operation. As the walls and additions were being removed, the sinuous and curved lines of the original plan emerged.” Like the semicircular space of the entrance, or the corridor connecting the living and dining rooms, screened by a curved glass

V31 Penthouse

façade; or like the rounded geometric shapes that generate the form and furniture of the kitchen, utilizing metallic panels of HPL. The entire lower floor, containing the more ‘public’ functions, brings out the character of the open plan while respecting the unique forms of the structural walls. The external terraces have also be renewed and enhanced, as continuous green spaces that follow the undulating perimeter of the façades and extend inward with portions of the ceramic flooring. Oak coverings are the main feature of the second level, where the four bedrooms, bathrooms and closets are connected in a functional sequence without corridors.

Location: Madrid

Architecture: Eduardo Tazon and Antonio Mora, co-founders of Studio.Noju

Furnishings, lighting and fittings: VIbia, Viccarbe, Knoll, Iconico, Vescom, Nemo Lighting, Minotti, &Tradition, Panton, Cinca

Photos: José Hevia

Although the penthouse on two levels is located on one of the most famous streets in Amsterdam, near the Vondelpark, the view that strikes and surprises any visitor is that of the sky. A contemplative atmosphere obtained by means of an open plan, a sort of nave with an archetypal form, and by a clarity filled with light and calm, generated by many windows that fully exploit the perimeter walls and the roof. The path of ‘ascent’ from the lower level, which contains the bedrooms (and bathroom, including a Scandinavian sauna), extends in a central stairwell that is actually conceived as a system of steps of different sizes, almost a furnishing block in wood, placed diagonally to connect the two levels with a livable, functional space. Steps that are wide like benches, or narrow and geometric, like the ones set into the base of the large element in black metal that functions as a bookcase and a perspective wing at the top of the stairs. The level below the sky boasts an enormous and very comfortable living area. In the kitchen zone the compact block of the custom ta-

ble in statuary marble establishes a dialogue at a distance with the fireplace, in the same material, which warms the living area. Every furnishing element, with the exception of the modular sofa, has been carefully designed and made to measure, to enhance the spaces and the proportions, the full and empty zones, the volumes and visual connections inside this luminous domestic landscape.

Location: Amsterdam

Architecture: zU-studio, Pierre Wizman & Javier Zubiria

Photos: Frans Parthesius

Apartment at San Frediano

Coffered ceilings, frescos, decorations and ample spaces formed the historical, precious ‘materials’ for the interaction with the studio Pierattelli Architetture, in charge of the interiors of an apartment in a Florentine palazzo from the 1400s. The residence, with an area of 240 sqm, at Borgo San Frediano, has gone through a restyling aimed at conserving the charm of the location and its history, but also bringing a new sense of contemporary welcome. To begin, the architects defined the missing entrance by means of a curved wall in grosgrain oak, whose line is echoed in the entire living area by furnishings that replicate its movement. Like the semicircular modular sofa in beige, for example, the two chairs with soft lines, or the circular carpet of great theatrical impact in bright shades of blue and orange, designed by the architects and made in Pakistan. The impression is that of being welcomed in a grand embrace, heightened by the use of forceful warm colors, custom crafted solutions and natural materials, creating ample, luminous spaces in

the daytime zone, composed of a living area connected to the kitchen and dining room. The traditional Tuscan cotto of all the floors in the house is juxtaposed with iconic design pieces, proving that antique and modern aspects can not only coexist, but also establish a dialogue. The night zone is more secluded, including a master bedroom and a guestroom, both featuring a particular headboard in canaletto walnut created by the designers, which also functions as a divider between the bedroom and the accessorized closet space. The residence is completed by a studio, two bathrooms refurbished with different types of travertine, and a Turkish bath.

Location: Florence, Italy

Interior design: Pierattelli Architetture

Furnishings and lighting: Lema, Poltrona Frau, Knoll, Flos, Elmar

Photos: Iuri Niccolai

Esperanza Apartment

Located in the historical center of Bilbao, near the church of San Nicolás, the residence with a storage facility was built in 1862 around an inner courtyard, which is still overlooked by the windows of the different levels of the house. Given the lack of a view towards the street, in the renovation project the architects focused on the floor plan and surfaces of the two usable floors to enhance and expand the interior space as much as possible, while offering greater visual breadth for the rooms. To this end, not only were the rooms of the original layout amalgamated to open up a more fluid path around the central courtyard, but the newly obtained spaces were almost laid bare, extending upward to grant maximum emphasis to the floors, walls, staircase, ceilings and beams. Horizontal, vertical and oblique planes have been restored to their original form and left completely white. The large dark wooden beams stand out, while the doors, windows and even the lighting, made up of simple wall appliques and recessed spotlights, are instead barely noticeable. In the living area the furnishings are spare and essential, mostly with vintage pieces

in neutral colors, except for the pink and yellow chosen for the chairs. Total white is also seen in the block and cabinets of the kitchen area, designed by the architects themselves to make the whole even purer and brighter.

Location: Bilbao, Spain

Architecture: BABELstudio

Contractor: Femviura

Furnishings: Tokyostory vintage furniture; Thonet, String System; Foglia by Tobia & Afra Scarpa for Flos, Arkhos Light

Invisible doors: Eclisse

Kitchen: designed by BABELstudio, manufactured by Ebanistería Iser, Neolithe White

Pure worktop by Marmolería Basauri

Photos: Biderbost Photo

Archi-textile

Refined attention to detail combined with an extraordinary sense of aesthetics. These are the key factors that set the tone of the interior design in an apartment from the early 20th century in the historical center of Trieste. About 180 sqm, by now without any of the typical features of the time of construction (except for the internal doors), refurbished by the studio Marcante-Testa, starting from the talents and history of the client couple: a dealer in premium fabrics, in her case, and an artist (in his). The functional reorganization of the interiors brings out the visuals, in a double connection of the rooms to each other and to the original corridor. The designers have applied textiles to the dimension of the architecture and to the furnishings. There are specific references to outstanding women in this field.

Like Anita Pittoni, praised by Gio Ponti in the 1930s on the pages of Domus, evoked by the fabric panels utilized to divide the spaces of the living area, and in the paneling in the bedroom, setting the perimeter of the space at different heights. The impression extends

Casa Velasca

to the passemanterie utilized for the radiator covers, or the fabric doors of the wardrobes. All the fabrics, including the curtains, have been created for the occasion by the textile designer Aleksandra Gaca, in agreement with the designers, and produced at the workshops of the TextielMuseum of Tilburg (Holland). There is also another element that stand out in the studio’s design: the central European culture of Trieste in the early decades of the 1900s. Hence the walls covered with wallpaper reproducing an original design from the Bauhaus period, or the reproductions of lamps by Adolf Loos. As well as the ceilings, inspired by the works of Josef Hoffmann in the 1920s, and the handles by Walter Gropius.

To create a residence that is also a workplace. To transmit emotion and function at the same time. The house is for a composer of electronic music, and it has been designed by m2atelier in the center of Milan, close to Torre Velasca. And the focus is on compositional balance, together with a well-gauged use of materials, as seen in the plan of the flat: a perfect cube, a soundproofed box for creating and recording, around which all the flows of the house are organized. The cosmopolitan and contemporary space shuns bourgeois styling – we are in an office building from the first half of the 1900s – while attempting to formulate the right freedom and calm for creative work. The studio m2atelier has eliminated all the unnecessary parts, creating an open space marked only by the structural grid of the pillars. The result is an oblong rectangle (about 450 sqm) that dictates the longitudinal extension of the house, with a black metal monolith at the center, raised on a platform and framed by a wooden structure. This volume is interrupted only by the door and the ribbon window on

one of the sides. Everyday life happens all around this presence, like the various chords of a rich score. The spaces in the public sphere, fluidly connected to each other, are separated from the more reserved, closed private zones. Everything, however, takes part in a situation of material and chromatic continuity. Wood and metal, the absolute protagonists, establish a dialogue with natural light that enters in abundance, becoming an important ingredient of the design. The overall effect is measured, poised and flexible.

Location: Milan

Architecture: m2atelier

Photos: Lorenzo Pennati

Location: Trieste, Italy

Interior design: Studio Marcante-Testa

Photos: Carola Ripamonti

St-Gérard residence

M51A fertile dialogue between designers and clients – a family from Turin – for a residence in an elegant building from the 1930s in the Porta Susa zone. The extraordinary potential of the spaces has been shaped by the desires of its inhabitants, little by little. The apartment was made by recovering and expanding the attic level, and it is organized around a large panoramic terrace. The heights, amplified by a new lamellar wood roof clad with coated sheet metal planks, rely on a sequence of over 20 dormers at the sides. In alignment with the original openings of the building, they have the task of producing visual continuity while bringing in more light. The designers’ approach is sartorial, also recovering added volume generated by the extension of the stairwell, to give rise to a turret that functions as a master bedroom. It is connected to the main level by a sculptural staircase in which each step is different from the others. The separation between the night zone and the living area is obtained by means of orientation. The layout is seamless, along the axis of the spine of the building, moving

through the kitchen, dining area, living room and terrace. Convivial spaces governed by the modular arrangement of mobile and transparent partitions, enhanced by wallpaper in tones of sky blue and a custom accessorized wall in pale blue. The private area is specular, including two rooms for the children, one for guests, a playroom, a small semi-independent flat for the household staff, and services. Here too the attention to detail is extreme, balancing cool and warm colors.

Location: Turin, Italy

Architecture: Icona Architetti Associati

Furnishings and fittings: Bontempi, Flou, Ditre, Rimadesio, Bolzan, Gervasoni, Pratic, Steel, Jim Thompson Fabrics, Thibaut, Ceramica Cielo, Fantini Group, Italgraniti, Marazzi

Custom furnishings: Dekton, Fogliati Marmi, Colombo Arredi, Falegnameria Builia, Italgraniti Group, VMZinc

Floors: Parital, Déco Lightings: Black out, Penta Light, Il Fanale, Flos, Rotaliana, Ego Luce, DCW, Nemo

Photos: Monica Spezia

In the dense residential urban fabric of the Villeray district, which does not permit major variations in the layout, the single-family home on multiple levels is the result of a project of almost total reconstruction that explores the vertical aspect of volumes and everyday life, weaving completely new relationships and perspectives between the various spaces. The backbone of the structure is the stairwell, which rises from the basement to the fourth and last level, creating unity while dividing the functional zones. Made in wood, it has glass surfaces to allow natural light to pass, and to permit views between the various levels. To revolutionize the classic organization of the floors and to recover space, vertical thrust and volume, the architects have demolished the back façade, conserving the main front and inserting a series of staggered half stories. The layout of the domestic settings has been organized in response to the levels of privacy desired by the members of the family. From the basement for the children to the first floor which contains the entrance, the studio and the living area; from the level hosting the more dynamic

spaces of the kitchen and the dining zone, to the two upper floors that offer very large bedrooms, with a master suite in the uppermost and clearly private part of the residence.

Location: Montréal

Design: Issadesign

Wood floor: Craft

Ceramics: Ramacieri Soligo

Millwork: Dcorp concept

Photos: Philippe Bernard

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North, South, East and West

128 AGENDA

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JOHANNESBURG | SOUTH AFRICA

Design speaks a universal language and is considered, all over the world, an important lever for raising awareness about the importance of valuing craft and for concentrating on local issues like cultural identify, respect for resources and sustainability. Same in Johannesburg, South Africa’s second largest city. Among the initiatives promoting contemporary design in Johannesburg is IL Lusso, the largest and most prestigious showroom of furnishings Made in Italy on the African continent. founded by Robert Marengo and Paco Pakdoust. «We needed a space that would incorporate the basic values of Italian design: aesthetic principles, understanding of proportions, quality and attention to detail», says Robert Marengo, who adds: «As a partner for some of the most exclusive brands, the focus of IL Lusso is first of all on design. Our goal is to bring functional, beautiful Italian furniture to a global market». According to Robert Marengo, «Design in Africa is about telling stories. It’s about creating products and spaces that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the continent while incorporating modern design practices and international trends. The result is a vibrant fusion that celebrates expert craftsmanship, tradition, high-quality materials and timeless design». «South Africa has gained international recognition for its originality and its unique blend of various cultural influences, innovative approaches, and strong creative talent», Marengo continues. «This, combined with bold colour palettes, natural materials such as wood and stone, African textiles and prints, and intricate metalwork, result in enigmatic contrasts that celebrate the African continent». To complete the contemporary design scene, several design studios have sprung up in Johannesburg, among them TheUrbanative, founded by Mpho Vackier who launched Homecoming, a collection of furnishings where forms, colors and textures link back to the vernacular architecture of Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Mali.

1, 2 The headquarter of IL Lusso, the largest showroom of furnishings Made in Italy on the African continent, is glamorous building completed in 2019 by Paragon Group. 3 Akaya chair, designed by TheUrbanative deisgn studio.

North, South, East and West

From Riyadh to Johannesburg, via Sharjah, Dubai, and on to Mexico City and São Paulo, design speaks a single language: tradition and craftsmanship, on the one hand, and research, innovation and inclusion, on the other. These are the key words capable of bringing otherwise distant worlds closer together.

by Giulia Guzzini

DUBAI, SHARJAH | UAE

The United Arab Emirates were the first in the Gulf to develop design-related cultural strategies. If today Dubai is a global creative capital, this is partly owed to the Dubai Design District, d3, a creative eco-system dedicated to design, fashion, art and architecture by the TECOM Group PJSC, and to Downtown Design, Middle East’s leading fair for original and high-quality. According to Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Dubai Design Week: «What is quite unique to Downtown Design is that we are a boutique fair and plan to remain so, and an edited fair – which means that the selection remains relevant to our audiences as well as neighbouring exhibitors based on content, context and objectives, and that as essentially a design trade show we still are a cultural event and act as a platform for design talent, young studios or individual creatives to gain exposure and meet the relevant audiences in order to establish their studios and further their careers in design». Interesting things are also happening at Sharjah. Such as the Architecture Triennial, due to take place in November 2023 and this year will be curated by Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo, or the work of the Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, a pioneering organisation based in Sharjah that promotes cultural and creative initiatives to help empower women, with the aim of developing a sustainable economy to make the most of the craft heritage of the United Arab Emirates.

4 Light installation realised by Suhail Design / Remm Al Bustani during the last edition of Downtown Design, Middle East’s leading fair for contemporary and high-quality design. 6 Through collaboration between women artisans and international designers, Sharjah-based Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council forge a symbiotic relationship between craft, heritage, and the modern economy.

RIYADH, DAMMAM | SAUDI ARABIA

Not far from the Emirates, Saudi Arabia is also looking at a similar model for cultural development. A land of ancient civilisations, deserts, sandstone mountains and breathtaking views, Saudi Arabia is now undergoing profound social changes. Skyscrapers and shopping malls are rising up alongside the ruins of early settlements and a great cultural ferment is running across the whole peninsula. Riyadh for example hosts Noor Riyadh ever year, a major festival of light that fills the Saudi capital with impressive light installations with the aim of involving and cultivating local talent. Dammam, the biggest city on the east coast, is also a cultural destination thanks to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), a remarkable building designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta with 100,000 square metres given over to exhibitions, events, shows and workshops. The building is sensational: stainless steel tubes individually shaped and folded make up the outer skin while inside a theatre, cinema, auditorium and a range of exhibition spaces are articulated around a large central atrium that provides access to the upper floors where a large library is located.

5 Sabine Marcelis, Light Horizon, 2022. 7 King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra. The building has been completed in 2018 by the Norwegian studio Snøhetta.

SÃO PAOLO | BRAZIL

Even in São Paolo, a megalopolis with 20 million in habitants, the most highly-populated city in South America, design is a key asset for commercial development and cultural programming. Here design brands, furniture shops, museums and galleries have all share an awareness of the cultural value that the Modernist period left to the country. Conscious of this historic legacy, they look to the future, seeking via numerous initiatives, to reactivate their own city. Etel, for example, is a design gallery that is located in a space created a few years ago in a neighbourhood that was away from the centre, that the gallery contributed to the redevelopment of. Led today by Lissa Carmona, the gallery shows pieces by Jorge Zalszupin, Lina Bo Bardi, Oscar Niemeyer e Giuseppe Scapinelli, to name just a few of the most important.

Another symbolic place in São Paolo is the Casa Zalszupin house and museum, named after the Brazilian master who died in August 2020, that was converted into a cultural space open to the public. Set in a tropical garden in the centre of São Paolo, Casa Zalszupin conserves the legacy of the Brazilian architect and celebrates his influence on the world of design. A Brazilian emigrant of Polish origin, architect and designer Jorge Zalszupin was born in 1922. He came to Brazil in 1949 and designed the house for himself and his family, therefore having the freedom to experiment and unleash his own creative imagination. Since that time almost no restoration work has been carried out and the house stands as a faithful witness to the period when the architect was alive.

8 Casa Zalszupin house and museum is set in a tropical garden in the centre of São Paolo. Jorge Zalszupin’s private home was converted into a cultural space open to the public.

9, 10 The Etel gallery in São Paulo represents several designers belonging to the season of Brazilian Modernism.

MEXICO CITY | MEXICO

Staying in South America, we cannot fail to mention Mexico City, an extremely dynamic city in terms of architecture. Here, last February, on the occasion of the Mexico City’s art week, Argentinian artist Pilar Zeta and Mexican sculptor Andrés Monnier have designed an installation called Doors of Perception for Antipodes at Galerie Philia Mexico, while MASA Gallery has opened its permanent gallery in a heritage building in the Mexican capital, where installations as well as a repository of work from past shows will take place.

11 Pilar Zeta designed an installation called Doors of Perception for Antipodes at Galerie Philia Mexico. 12 Masa Gallery has a permanent new home in the heart of Mexico City.

Courtesy Photo Rui Teixeira

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APRIL

BRERA DESIGN WEEK

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April 18-21, 2023 Orlando (USA) www.coverings.com

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San Francisco (USA) https://sfdesignweek.org

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Valencia (Spain) www.feriahabitatvalencia.com

FIND

September 21-23, 2023

Singapore www.designfairasia.com

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CHINA SUMMIT

September 21-23, 2023

Beijing (China) www.sustainabledesignchina.com

SALONE NAUTICO

September 21-26, 2023 Genoa (Italy) https://salonenautico.com

CERSAIE

September 25-29, 2023 Bologna (Italy) www.cersaie.it

MONACO YACHT SHOW

September 27-30, 2023 Monaco (France) www.monacoyachtshow.com

OCTOBER

EDIT NAPOLI

October 6-8, 2023 Naples (Italy) https://editnapoli.com

DECOREX

October 8-11, 2023

London (United Kingdom) www.decorex.com

SIA EXPO

October 11-13, 2023 Rimini (Italy) www.siaexpo.it

HOSTMILANO

October 13-17, 2023 Milan (Italy) https://host.fieramilano.it

FORT LAUDERDALE BOAT SHOW

October 25-29, 2023

Fort Lauderdale (USA) www.flibs.com

NOVEMBER

BRUSSELS FURNITURE FAIR

November 5-8, 2023 Brussels (Belgium) www.furniturefairbrussels.be

DOWNTOWN DESIGN DUBAI

November 8-11, 2023

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) www.downtowndesign.com

DUBAI DESIGN WEEK

November 2023 (dates tbd)

Dubai (United Arab Emirates) www.dubaidesignweek.ae

BDNY

November 12-13, 2023

New York City (USA) www.dubaidesignweek.ae

WESTEDGE DESIGN FAIR

November 16-18, 2023

Santa Monica (USA) https://westedgedesignfair.com

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SUMMIT

November 28, 2023

London (United Kingdom) https://sustainabledesignsummit.com

CRUISE SHIP INTERIORS EXPO EUROPE

November 29-30, 2023

London (United Kingdom) https://cruiseshipinteriors-europe.com

DECEMBER

DESIGN MIAMI

December 6-10, 2023

Miami (USA) www.designmiami.com

ART BASEL

December 8-10, 2023

Miami Beach (USA) www.artbasel.com/miami-beach

JANUARY

MAISON&OBJET

January 18-22, 2024

Paris (France) www.maison-objet.com

BOOT DÜSSELDORF

January 20-28, 2024 Düsseldorf (Germany) www.boot.com

AMBIENTE

January 26-30, 2024 Frankfurt (Germany) https://ambiente.messefrankfurt.com

FEBRUARY

STOCKHOLM FURNITURE FAIR

February 6-10, 2024 Stockholm (Sweden) www.stockholmfurniturefair.se

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

February 14-18, 2024 Miami (USA) www.miamiboatshow.com

MARCH

LIGHT + BUILDING

March 3-8, 2024 Frankfurt (Germany) https://light-building.messefrankfurt.com

MIPIM

March 12-15, 2024

Shenzhen (China) www.designshanghai.com/design-shenzhen

DESIGN SHENZHEN

March 14-17, 2024

Cannes (France) www.mipim.com