12 minute read
Design store
from Dftgff
F l owe r s i n s e a s o n
Projects by a generation of architects experienced in floristry: suspended worlds that transform fragility into timeless beauty
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by Eleonora Grigoletto
The protagonist on the page is Gigi Verde Kobe by the Japanese studio, Sides Core: the architectural studio specialising in tailor-made design.
Floral architecture — Slender and discreet, inside the space of Gigi Verde Kobe in Japan’s Chuo Ward (above and previous page), a central arch guides the movements of customers and staff, and defines the activities of different work areas. The furnishings are movable, prioritising flexibility in relation to the change of scenery during the various seasons, and the colours of the architectural space are neutral to enhance and set off the chromatic intensity of the flowers. sides-core.com, isely.jp
Flowers within everyone’s reach — A new concept for creating floral bouquets: to break down the barriers between the customers and the objects of desire, the project by Canobardin for Mon Parnasse in Madrid, has recreated the atmosphere of a Parisian ‘marché aux fleurs’. The result is a space that recalls the flower markets, and which displays a sampling of multi-coloured arrangements. The Parisian style appears again in the painted pine façade and the ceiling, where a trompe l’oeil turns into a bright and boundless sky. monparnasse.es
The Art of beauty — When he opened his studio in a courtyard in Paris’ Marais, Louis-Géraud Castor had abandoned his almost twenty-year life as an art dealer without letting go of this principle: to always seek out beauty and convey it in its essential form. “Cut flowers are a suspended moment during which one dwells on them”, says the founder of Castor Fleuriste, who with each arrangement conjures the eternal desire of creating a rendezvous. moredesignoffice.com
Florilegio — Designed by Cristina Celestino, the Milanese project for florist Radaelli takes shape through the relationship between Ulrich’s original architecture and the new, site-specific renovation: every decorative interference is sublimated by the use of objects with a mirror finish. A natural and refined tribute to the location’s magic: within a few square metres fragrances and creativity coexist, suggesting a completely unexpected way of enjoying the space. For a new idea of urban and at once domestic greenery. cristinacelestino.com, radaelli1886.com
A shady field of flowers — In a bank’s former headquarters, nature merges with artifice to create a new mood: here, the wrapping is cast aside to display an expanse of blooming vases. Roman Izquierdo Bouldstridge’s project for Colvin’s Barcelona branch welcomes visitors and assists them in selecting their favourite flower arrangements. romanizquierdo.com, thecolvinco.com/es
O’Flower — An ode to the simplicity of shapes and materials was the idea behind the Plainoddity’s project for the store that opened in 2022 in South Korea. A space conceived as a laboratory in which to combine the minimalism of cold stainless-steel furniture, the shape of which recalls lab tables, with playful blue paint. An open cabinet serves both as a space divider and storage for vases and tools for DIY bouquets. “We want the public to enjoy experimenting by touching and selecting flowers freely. Here the client is called upon to play an active role”. plainoddity.kr
Exquisite, tasteful and brilliant — Three adjectives that aptly summarise the philosophy of Mrs Jing, founder of the Absolute Flower Shop in Shanghai. Her creations cross the boundaries between natural and artificial, finding their perfect setting in the project by More Design Office studio: a linear path leading to the large garden at the back of the store. Materials such as steel and the neutral colour of concrete play with the historical location and the eclectic floral arrangements. moredesignoffice.com
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146 NEW WAVE. Design by the masters, new materials and optical motifs. From cultured quotes and pop influences, architect Luciano Giorgi reinvents a Milanese residence. 160 IN PARIS. In the home of François Laffanour, founder of Galerie Downtown. 172 DESIGN STORIES. Relaxation corners and passepartout furniture tell new ways of defining the domestic space. With fluid signs, essential volumes and graphic details. 180 AUSTRAL EUROPE. In Sydney, the elegance of the Old World. In an Art Deco architecture with neutral colours, classic decor, art, and mid-century design. 190 AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. A New Zealand lodge unveils its twofold spirit: on one hand it camouflages itself as to almost disappear, while on the other, it strongly draws attention.
N E W WAV E
D e s i g n b y t h e m a s t e r s , new materials and optical motifs. F r o m c u l t u r e d r e f e r e n c e s t o p o p i n f l u e n c e s , a r c h i t e c t L u c i a n o G i o r g i r e i n v e n t s a M i l a n e s e r e s i d e n c e
by Francesca Benedetto — photos by Andrea Ferrari
The living room overlooking the garden of the BBPR complex in the hearth of Brera. Camaleonda sofas by Mario Bellini, B&B Italia; Elettra armchair, BBPR design, Arflex. Fasce Cromate table; Porcino and Mikado lamps (from Galleria Luisa Delle Piane); all by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena. Piazza Scala tray by Fabio Novembre for Driade. Coffee table by Barber & Osgerby, B&B Italia. ‘Radical Writings’ artwork by Irma Blank, Gallery P420. Opposite page, the original 1960s building’s spectacular ellipsoidal staircase.
The living room reflected in the diptych ‘Transcriptions’, 1975, by Irma Blank, who also created the piece at the back, ‘Radical Writings’ (Gallery P420). The butter-hued walls match the glossy ceilings and the afrormosia parquet, laid in a diagonal herringbone. Camaleonda sofas by Mario Bellini, B&B Italia, and velvet Elettra armchairs by BBPR design, Arflex. Ceiling lights by Johanna Grawunder, Flos.
Blue and red oblique lines create optical patterns inspired by the art of Kenneth Noland and decorate the penthouse hallway, which is accessed via the sculptural staircase in the dining room. Opposite page, over the bespoke table in green Guatemala marble, 1960 brass pendants by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos (from Spazio RT). Catilina Chairs by Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, B&B Italia. On the wall, glowing artwork by Nanda Vigo, 2005, Galleria Luisa Delle Piane.
The kitchen, a tribute to the 1960s and 1970s, is an enamelled green box that picks up the green Guatemala marble in covering the walls and floor. The 1960s stainless steel bar table is custom made like the rest of the furnishings; surrounding it are stools by Kazuhide Takahama for Cassina. On the wall, diptych by Landon Metz (Galleria Francesca Minini). Like spectacular craters on the ceiling, Uso Boob lights and, on the countertop, Copycat lamp by Michael Anastassiades, all from Flos.
Left from the top: architect Luciano Giorgi, responsible for the project; the jagged façade of the building designed by BBPR in 1968. The penthouse study, with the blue Klinker flooring that from the balconies carries on inside, is a tribute to Master of Design: desk and table lamp from the ‘Arco’ collection (Olivetti Synthesis 1962, Galleria Luisa Delle Piane) and Elettra chair by Arflex, all from BBPR. In the bathroom, polished steel washbasin by Philippe Starck for Rapsel. Opposite page, homeowners Annamaria and her father Sergio, creative director of Antonini Milano. In the background, bespoke steel shelf, artwork by Mandla Reuter, courtesy Galleria Francesca Minini.
A stone’s throw from the Brera academy and Milan’s La Scala, in a green setting among ancient cloisters and monumental buildings, we discover a surprising series of famous architecture. Buildings designed by Vico Magistretti, Luigi Caccia Dominioni and Marco Zanuso, among others. Along this axis lies a residential complex with jagged volumes, consisting of three twin buildings designed by BBPR studio in 1968, which is considered one of Milan’s most iconic ones of the post-war period. The two-level penthouse inhabited by Annamaria, a student at the Polytechnic who’s passionate about art and architecture, and her father Sergio Antonini, creative director of the historic Antonini Milano jewellers, overlooks a garden of centuries-old plane trees. To update the space, the homeowners relied on architect and friend, Luciano Giorgi, who planned a renovation respectful of the context’s outer shell through and ongoing dialogue with the clients. “They felt a desire for an authentic Milanese home that exuded a tidy composure and measured informality, and interiors that referenced, albeit in a contemporary language, the building’s exterior”, says the architect. “After eliminating the traces of a simple 1980s remodel, we wanted to widen the spaces to make them more fluid, choosing materials consistent with the era of the building”. The floorplan is divided into multifaceted shapes, all different and opening onto the balconies, surrounding a central volume that contains the spectacular stairwell. At the entrance, after a game of screens that separate the rooms, we find ourselves in the living room, where large windows frame the fronds of ancient trees. The butter-hued walls, the glossy ceilings in the same shade and the herringbone parquet flooring exude humble elegance. Heroes of the conversation area are the Camaleonda leather sofas designed by Mario Bellini and the noisette velvet Elettra armchairs by BBPR. Timeless furnishings naturally coexist with artworks collected over time: pieces by Italian artists such as Carla Accardi, Giulio Paolini and Enrico Castellani, albeit with some exceptions, from Irma Blank to Landon Metz and Mandla Reuter. “The design of the whole house”, continues Giorgi, “is the outcome of a specific journey of chromatic and stylistic research. Starting with the Master of Design, and with the support of the Galleria Luisa Delle Piane, I sought a dialogue with the bespoke works creating a continuum with the aesthetics of those years”. The glowing wall piece by Nanda Vigo is attention-grabbing in the dining room and the custom-made Guatemala green marble table match the colour of the kitchen floor and the dense, enveloping paint used on the walls and ceiling. A tribute to the mood of the 1960–70s, with the Metz diptych reflecting against the surface of the steel bar table. “The project plays with the rejection of a single language, with environments with minimalist geometries, mingling with pop elements”, explains the architect. The sleeping quarters with three rooms are distinguished by the choice of traditionally Milanese materials and colours: from Klinker tiles in green and blue shades, to black Marquina and Carrara white marble for the walls and floors in the bathrooms. The custom-made sculptural staircase leads from the dining area to the upper floor conceived as a true “chromatic tornado”, concludes the architect. “An ‘apartment within the apartment’ with kitchenette, relaxation area and a study, all connected to the green balconies curated by landscape designer Marco Bay. From the outside, the Klinker flooring carries on inside, creating an optical pattern against the blue and fiery red of the walls, furnishings and curtains”. The final result is a project consisting of references and mentions that doesn’t shy away from demonstrating a mature unconventionality as well as an intense personality. —
Luciano Giorgi
Bold choices in an ensuite bathroom covered in two shades of Klinker tiles (Agrob Buchtal) and black Marquina marble. Montecatini washbasin by Rapsel and taps by Mamoli, all designed by Gio Ponti. Opposite page, in the master bedroom, walls and ceiling are painted deep blue like the glossy laminate chosen for the furnishings with walnut trim. Curtains, headboard and bedspread made of Blazer linen by Dedar. On the late 1800s bedside table, Patroclo glass lamp by Gae Aulenti, Artemide, and ‘Superficie bianca’ work on paper by Enrico Castellani, 1969.
The penthouse’s relaxation area matches the blue and red of the slanted lines spreading to curtains, walls, ceilings and furnishings. Bespoke sofa upholstered in No Excuses wool cloth by Dedar. Opposite page, the Klinker flooring of the building’s top floor balcony carries on inside, into the kitchenette. Polished blue laminate and stainlesssteel bespoke furniture. In the foreground, Love chrome lamp by Willy Rizzo, 1968. In the background, artwork on paper by Carla Accardi and, on top of the wall units, a collection of Murano vases.
