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    Triennale Milano celebrates Alessandro Mendini at Milan design week

    Cultural institutions Triennale Milano and Fondation Cartier are hosting a retrospective show of Italian designer Alessandro Mendini at this year’s Milan design week, showcased in this video produced by Dezeen for Triennale.

    [embedded content]The exhibition takes place at Trienalle Milano
    Triennale Milano partnered with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain to host the exhibition, which explores Mendini’s work across the fields of architecture, art, design and theory.
    Titled Io Sono Un Drago (I am a dragon), the show brings together over 400 different works and intends to explore Mendini’s philosophical approach to the world around him.

    Mendini was an Italian architect and designer known for his role as a key figure in the radical design and postmodernist movements of the 1960s and ’70s.
    Through his 60-year career he created some of the most iconic design pieces of the 20th century, such as the Proust armchair, which combined baroque references with pointillist patterns. Mendini passed away at the age of 87 in February 2019.
    The exhibition is named after a self-portrait Mendini drew depicting himself as a dragonSplit into six thematic sections, the show looks back on Mendini’s life and work, with the first section, titled Identikit, showcasing a series of self-portraits Mendini created over the course of his life.
    The following sections explore aspects of his work including his firm Atelier Mendini, which designed buildings such as the Groninger Museum and the Arts metro stations in Naples, as well as exploring his research in radical design theory.
    The last section of the exhibition consists of three immersive installations that Mendini created towards the end of his life, which play with the concepts of dreams and nightmares.
    The exhibition covers Mendini’s contribution to the postmodernist design movementAs part of the wider exhibition, French designer Phillipe Starck will also debut an immersive installation created in homage to Mendini during the run of the design week.
    Titled What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini, the installation aims to take visitors into a sensory journey through Mendini’s subconscious.
    Speaking on the installation, Starck said “before being a human, [Mendini] was an idea, a sensation, an osmotic vibration that I wanted to recapture through the installation, conceived as an immersive experience in Alessandro Mendini’s brain”.
    Starck’s installation will be located in Triennale Milano’s Impluvium space.

    Triennale Milano brings together iconic works of Italian design at Museo del Design Italiano

    Io Sono Un Drago is open to the public at the Trienalle Milano 13 April to 13 October. What? A homage to Alessandro Mendini runs from the 16 April- 13 October. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for Triennale as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here. 

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    V-Zug unveils neutral-toned showroom during Milan design week

    Swiss homeware brand V-Zug has opened its inaugural Milan showroom, combining soft hues and natural materials with high-tech appliances, as captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

    Called V-Zug Studio Milan, the showroom was designed by Italian architect and interior designer Elisa Ossino to encapsulate a “poetic simplicity” through blending objects crafted from natural materials with appliances featuring reflective surfaces.
    [embedded content]V-Zug Studio Milan has opened its doors during Milan design week
    The studio showcases V-Zug’s homeware products and kitchen appliances, such as ovens, cooktops and steamers, which are contrasted by furniture pieces created by Ossino in collaboration with artist Henry Timi.
    According to V-Zug’s global interior art director Gabriel Castelló Pinyon, the open-plan interiors are designed to evoke a “sense of hospitality” for its visitors.

    V-Zug’s minimal Milan showroom showcases its home appliancesThe space is characterised by a neutral colour palette of soft hues, which create a subtle contrast with the materials incorporated throughout the space, such as sculpted stone and mirrored surfaces.
    The showroom is flooded with ample natural light emanating from large glazings, while an off-white monolithic staircase with large circular openings cuts through the space.
    The showroom features sculptural objects and artworks by Ossino and TimiOverlooking the Piazza San Marco, the studio marks the company’s flagship showroom located in Italy, following the recent openings of its studios across Germany, Austria and Australia.
    V-Zug Studio Milan is open to visitors from Monday to Friday during this year’s Milan design week.
    The showroom’s open-plan interiors are defined by a soft colour paletteIn addition to hosting a series of talks throughout the week, V-Zug has also created a sculptural installation titled Time and Matter at Pinacoteca di Brera, which further explores the relationship between human experiences, design and technology.
    See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for V-Zug as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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    Maria Vittoria Paggini’s gives her home “porno-chic” makeover for Milan design week

    Designer Maria Vittoria Paggini has used colourful wallpaper and murals depicting nude bodies concealed behind peepholes to transform her home for Milan design week.

    Located in the 5vie design district in the heart of the city, Casa Ornella is annually redesigned by Vittoria Paggini who presents the project during Milan design week.
    This year, the property – which is also partly an art gallery, is themed “porno-chic”.
    Maria Vittoria Paggini has redesigned her home around the theme of “porno-chic””Casa Ornella is a maximalist house” said the designer, who is opening up her home to the public during the week.
    “Porno-chic stems from a strong need for rediscovery and self-awareness. To achieve this, I felt the need to bare myself and decided to use the metaphor of the naked body, pushing it to the extreme to make it invisible to the eyes,” she told Dezeen.

    “Going beyond that, porno-chic aims to be a style of ‘rebirth,’ a recognition of oneself through the home or any place to inhabit.”
    Tatiana Brodatch’s graphic wallpaper features in the living spaceThe interiors feature a living space characterised by artist Tatiana Brodatch’s striking wallpaper. Oversized spots and stripes in pink and purple hues form the backdrop for images of faceless, nude male sculptures touching themselves.
    Finished in Brodatch’s signature lumpy plasticine, the figures look like they are flying through space.
    Illustrative nude bodies decorate brown curtainsTwo boothlike, art deco armchairs with burl wood casing were positioned next to this feature wall, as well as a translucent table designed by Vittoria Paggini and topped with twisting, marble and Murano glass candelabras by Aina Kari.
    Visitors can see Brodatch’s wallpaper through a circular peephole on one of the corridors, which adds to the “sensual” atmosphere of the home, according to the designer.
    A naked mural lines one of the corridorsElsewhere, brown curtains illustrated with naked female bodies and a small but suggestive figurative sculpture sitting on a silver tray are reflected in a swollen gold mirror.
    One corridor is characterised by a large-scale floor mural of a nude woman, created as a set of abstract brown and pink shapes.
    The only private room is the bedroomThe only room not open to the public is the bedroom, which is decorated with a graphic, floor-to-ceiling mural of naked men surrounded by decadent architecture, influenced by 13th-century paintings.
    Visitors can view the bedroom mural, created by Milanese illustrator Damiano Groppi, through another peephole.
    A peephole reveals the room’s muralSugary pink walls, striped and chequerboard accents and multiple mirrored surfaces throughout the home add to its maximalist design.
    Casa Ornella also includes two more Vittoria Paggini-designed products, which are being debuted for the design week and take cues from “the world of jewellery”.

    Six typefaces that make use of the human body and bodily fluids

    These are bulbous gold taps created for Milanese brand Manoli – positioned above veiny Gio Ponti basins in the bathroom – and slender light switches designed for Officine Morelli.
    According to Vittoria Paggini, these pieces are “what is most characteristic of the porno-chic style”.
    “They serve two different functions but have the same language that aims to communicate sensuality and timeless elegance.”
    Sugary pink walls feature throughout the homeThe annual Milan design week has kicked off in the Italian city, with projects on display ranging from a collection of everyday objects designed using algae and sculptural lights by Leo Maher that reference “a hot-pot of queer culture”.
    The photography is courtesy of Maria Vittoria Paggini.
    Casa Ornella is on display at Via Conca di Naviglio 10, Milan, during Milan Design Week from 15 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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    Eight living rooms with tactile organic modern interiors

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight living rooms from Denmark to Japan that have been decorated in an organic modern style, featuring natural wood and stone details.

    The deceptively simple organic modern style combines modernist interior designs with natural materials and earthy colours.
    Plenty of wood, in the form of flooring, panelling and furniture give these interiors an organic feel. Designers have also chosen stone to create the same effect, with stone floors, tables and sofa bases adding an elegant and natural touch.
    All of these living rooms also have discrete and neutral colour palettes, with hues of brown, beige, tan and various white and cream shades creating restful environments.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanines.

    Photo by Jonas Bjerre-PoulsenHeatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
    Danish studio Norm Architects designed the cedar-clad Heatherhill Beach House to resemble a traditional barn, with a material palette that leans heavily on wood and brick.
    In the ocean-facing living room, the studio combined a brick floor and wooden wall with modernist furniture, including the slender graphic Valerie Objects Hanging Lamp by design studio Muller Van Severen.
    Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
    Photo by Helen CathcartThe Maker’s Barn, UK, by Hutch Design
    Originally a concrete pig shed, Hutch Design transformed The Maker’s Barn into a holiday rental using “natural and honest” materials.
    Its living, dining and kitchen area features a concrete fireplace, bulbous soft furniture and a shaggy beige rug in front of floor-to-ceiling windows that underline the house’s connection to the landscape.
    Find out more about The Maker’s Barn ›
    Photo by David MitchellTribeca loft, US, by Timothy Godbold
    This Tribeca loft inside a former textile factory has a dramatic double-height living room surrounded by large windows. To make the room feel more intimate, interior designer Timothy Godbold added sheer curtains and softly rounded furniture.
    A discrete colour palette of cream and beige hues is offset with plenty of green plants, while a central stone table and stone sofa base add a rustic touch.
    Find out more about Tribeca loft ›
    Photo by Ståle EriksenPalm Springs, UK, by Will Gamble Architects
    Named for the California desert town, the Palm Springs extension in London draws on the area’s specific type of modernism. This is exemplified by the use of natural materials and floor-to-ceiling glazing.
    The sandy hues in the living room also nod to the arid Palm Springs surroundings, with a sage green sofa adding more colour to the interior.
    Find out more about Palm Springs ›
    Photo by by Rory Gardiner835 High Street, Australia, by Carr
    The interiors of this flat in Melbourne form a softer contrast to its gridded concrete facade. A rounded sofa with undulating shapes is juxtaposed against branch-like side tables and designer Hans J Wegner’s classic Flag Halyard chair.
    Textile accents in the form of a patterned rug and a fur throw also help make the room feel cosier.
    Find out more about 835 High Street ›
    Photo by Sean DavidsonAmity Street Residence, US, by Selma Akkari and Rawan Muqaddas
    The living room of Amity Street Residence in Brooklyn, New York, houses a collection of sculptural furniture pieces that give it an art-gallery feel.
    Here, designer Isamu Noguchi’s Akari rice lamp with its bamboo stem matches a wooden chair and plinth and contrasts with a green marble table.
    “A warm colour palette was deployed to unify the spaces by way of gentle oak floors, cream-hued walls that contrasted with dark stone, and stained-wood inset bookshelves,” said designer Selma Akkari.
    Find out more about Amity Street Residence ›
    Photo by Tomooki KengakuAzabu Hills Residence, Japan, by Karimoku Case
    Azabu Hills Residence (above and main image) sits on a hilltop in Tokyo and was designed to have a “calm and serene atmosphere”. Local zelkova wood was used for its custom-made furniture, including an ovoid coffee table.
    A clever use of materials enhances the organic modern interior, with a glossy, lacquered brown vase standing out against the textured rug and sofa.
    Find out more about Azabu Hills Residence ›
    Photo by José HeviaCan Santacilia, Spain, by OHLAB
    New and old meet inside the Can Santacilia apartment building in Palma de Mallorca’s old town, parts of which are from the 12th or 13th century.
    In the living room of one of the flats, architecture studio OHLAB used geometric-shaped rattan furniture and a rug to bring a natural colour palette into the all-white room.
    Find out more about Can Santacilia ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring floors that connect the indoors and outdoors and interiors with mezzanine.

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    Sergio Mannino enlivens Philadelphia pharmacy with mauve and silver

    Brooklyn-based designer Sergio Mannino has chosen a palette of purple and silver for a Philadelphia pharmacy that helps patients affected by the opioid crisis.

    Located in the Philadelphia suburb of Cheltenham, the Angel Care Pharmacy is owned by Olivia Tchanque, who wanted the design of her space to reflect the care and sensitivity offered to her patients.
    Sergio Mannino designed the mauve and chrome seats that populate the waiting area at Angel Care PharmacyTchanque looked to Sergio Mannino Studio to create an environment that feels distinctive, clean and contemporary.
    The pharmacy was born in part to help deal with the ongoing opioid crisis in the US, and those with addictions to OxyContin and deadly substitute Fentanyl.
    Mannino designed the interiors and branding for the pharmacyIts mission revolves around “providing the community with the best medical supplies and care they need”, said Tchanque.

    Mannino was responsible for the interior design and branding for the space, including its angel-wing logo used for signage and across marketing materials.
    Once two separate units, the space is divided into retail and prescription areas that are connected by an open doorwayOnce two separate units, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) pharmacy is divided into retail operations and prescription areas now connected by an open doorway.
    In the retail area, the designer intentionally chose colours that are bold but would not be overbearing.
    The pharmacy windows are surrounded by pale purple walls with a grid overlaid”Mauve is the colour of balance: it represents tenderness and it’s frequently associated with femininity and motherhood,” said Mannino.
    “White brings a feeling of safety and purity. It represents the absence of things and a sense of relaxation and clarity. Silver has always been associated with the moon, inspiring a feeling of joy and peace.”
    Oak-framed shelving from Blu Dot and Hem is used to display productsTwo chairs designed by Mannino with soft purple-upholstered bases, minimal chrome backrests and oak armrests provide a waiting area for patients along with a built-in window seat.
    These are accompanied by two side tables designed by Ettore Sottsass for Kartell, in violet and pink finishes.

    Pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn features calming turquoise tones

    The room is decorated with silver-toned wallpaper on two sides and purple grid pattern on the others.
    Shelving displays along the walls came from Blu Dot, while freestanding units in the centre of the room are by Hem – both crafted from oak.
    The pharmacy is located in the Philadelphia suburb of CheltenhamThe colour palette extends to the minimalist branding, which features mauve hues, grid patterns and contemporary typography.
    At Tchanque’s request, Mannino also introduced compostable vials and bags instead of plastic packaging, since “every year, each local pharmacy in the US fills 60,000 prescriptions on average,” according to the pharmacist.
    The branding for the pharmacy follows the same colour palette as the interiorsSergio Mannino Studio was established in 2008, and the firm’s early projects included a showroom for footwear brand Kensiegirl and another shoe shop where the walls were covered in interchangeable panels.
    More recently, Mannino completed a pharmacy waiting room in Brooklyn featuring graphic floor tiles, a pigmented cement desk and curved leather chairs.
    The photography is by Sergio Mannino Studio.

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    Eight hotel interiors characterised by eclectic designs

    From guest rooms filled with fashion designer Christian Louboutin’s personal antique collection to Ibiza’s oldest hotel where handmade masks are mounted on the walls, our latest lookbook features eight eclectic hotel interiors.

    Eclectic design brings together objects and styles from a range of sources – often mixing contemporary and vintage pieces.
    While many hotels are characterised by uniform luxury, others celebrate unlikely combinations of furniture, colours and patterns.
    Here are eight eclectic hotel interiors from around the world defined by contrasts and clashes.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

    Photo courtesy of Kelly WearstlerDowntown LA Proper, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
    American designer Kelly Wearstler has created the interiors for all four of the Proper Hotel Group’s branches across North America.
    The Downtown LA Proper is anchored by “bold and eclectic choices”, including a chunky graphite reception desk and a hand-painted archway flanked by leaning column-like cacti in rustic pots.
    Find out more about Downtown LA Proper ›
    Photo by Karel BalasMontesol Experimental, Ibiza, by Dorothée Meilichzon
    Dorothée Meilichzon of French interior design studio Chzon renovated Montesol – the oldest hotel in Ibiza, originally built in the 1930s.
    Meilichzon transformed the renamed Montesol Experimental with “a bohemian overtone” that draws on the hotel’s rich history. Among its interior elements are lumpy Playdough Stools by artist Diego Faivre, hand-crafted masks and an abundance of tassels.
    Find out more about Montesol Experimental ›
    Photo by Ambroise TézenasVermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado
    Louboutin filled his first hospitality project with furniture and materials from his personal antique collection.
    The fashion designer worked with architect Madalena Caiado to create the Vermelho boutique hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides. The guest rooms feature unexpected elements such as a rattan monkey-shaped side table and striking hand-painted frescoes.
    Find out more about Vermelho ›
    Photo by Brooke ShanesyPalm Heights, Grand Cayman, by Gabriella Khalil
    Collectible design pieces characterise Palm Heights in Grand Cayman, the island’s first boutique hotel.
    Creative director Gabriella Khalil sought to style the project like a 1970s Caribbean mansion, selecting sandy yellows and bold blue hues to complement the many original artworks that adorn the walls.
    Find out more about Palm Heights ›
    Photo by The IngallsAustin Proper Hotel and Residences, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
    Among the Proper Hotel Group’s other locations is an Austin branch. Wearstler inserted a sculptural oak staircase into the lobby that doubles as a plinth for a varied collection of glazed earthenware pots and vases.
    Locally sourced art and textiles characterise the hotel, which has cypress wood walls that were charred using the traditional Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban to create a tiger-striped effect.
    Find out more about Austin Proper Hotel ›
    Photo by Simon BrownHôtel de la Boétie, France, by Beata Heuman
    Swedish designer Beata Heuman created the Hôtel de la Boétie in Paris to be “a bit like a stage set”.
    Heuman chose contrasting elements for the colour-drenched interiors. Bedrooms feature a mixture of dark-hued woven headboards and pale pink sheets, while downstairs, the reception area’s jumbo flower lamps balance the steely silver of the lounge walls.
    Find out more about Hôtel de la Boétie ›
    Photo by Felix BrueggemannChâteau Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer
    A series of eclectic spaces make up the Château Royal in Berlin, which references the heyday of the German capital at the turn of the 20th century.
    Interior architect Irina Kromayer designed the hotel to be “authentic” rather than retro, choosing art noveau tiles and brass and nickel hardware in a nod to the finishes commonly found in Berlin’s historic buildings.
    Find out more about Château Royal ›
    Photo by Christian HarderEsme Hotel, USA, by Jessica Schuster Design
    Plush velvet flooring, textural tassels and plants in wicker pots come together at the Esme Hotel in Miami, renovated by New York studio Jessica Schuster Design.
    The interiors draw on the “bohemian grandeur” of the hotel’s 1920s history, with decadent alcoves clad with contrasting patterns.
    Find out more about Esme Hotel ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring residential mezzanines, Mexican holiday homes and minimalist bathrooms.

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    Esrawe + Cadena house Mexico City fragrance boutique within radial pavilion

    This wooden pavilion set among lush gardens forms a retail space in Mexico City for fragrance brand Xinú, designed by its founders Esrawe + Cadena.

    The Xinú Marsella space occupies a former car mechanic’s workshop in the city’s Juarez neighborhood that has been transformed into an oasis of greenery.
    Esrawe + Cadena built the Xinú boutique within an industrial courtyard transformed into a verdant gardenIt was built to provide a multi-sensory experience for customers of perfume and home scent brand Xinú, which designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena founded in 2016.
    Both had a hand in creating the retail space, which is intended to reinvigorate the leftover industrial space and provide an enjoyable spot to visit.
    The single-storey pavilion is built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood”The design approach started with the idea of gifting a garden to the neighbourhood, ingeniously giving life to a vacant space by harmoniously blending a holistic experience that integrates the seductive power of nature, with design and architecture,” said the design team.

    Visitors approach the space via an unassuming metal gateway on the street, passing through a tunnel with many potted plants on either side before emerging into the courtyard.
    Its radial construction emanates from a central columnA flagstone path guides this journey to and around a circular single-storey pavilion built almost entirely from laminated tornillo wood.
    Its radial construction revolves around a large central pillar, from which structural beams emanate to support tongue-and-groove ceiling panels.
    Vertical louvres around the perimeter support shelves and vitrines displaying various itemsThe pavilion sits on a steel frame atop a system of red grandis wood beams, while a pine lattice above the ceiling supports a plywood board roof.
    Around the perimeter are a series of vertical louvres that provide anchors for shelves and vitrines displaying a variety of items.
    Products on view include Xinú’s fragrances, candles and other olfactory-related piecesGlass panels fill most of the gaps between the louvres, except the two that are left for the wooden doors.
    At night, a ring of track lighting illuminates the displays that range from Xinú perfumes and candles, to olfactory-stimulating natural items, small plants and botanical drawings.
    The boutique is designed to offer Xinú customers a “a powerful authentic brand narrative””This thoughtful arrangement allows the periphery to fully embrace the botanical realm, correlating scents, candles, incense and home products with the vivid tapestry of the landscape,” the team said.
    “Supported by a powerful authentic brand narrative, the pavilion unfolds as a contemplative journey, a multi-sensory approach inviting guests to explore a universe crafted by simplicity and the fragrant symphony of nature as well as Xinú’s unique products and scents.”

    Mexican design and architecture undergoing a “renaissance” says Héctor Esrawe

    Xinú launched during Design Week Mexico in 2016, when the brand’s stacked-hemisphere reusable bottles – also designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Asociados – were unveiled.
    Esrawe is one of Mexico’s most prolific contemporary designers, and in a recent interview with Dezeen, said that Mexican design and architecture is undergoing a “renaissance”.
    The courtyard is accessed from the street via a metal gate and reached by following a flagstone pathHis studio’s recent projects include the Albor Hotel in San Miguel de Allende where planes of green tile are suspended from the lobby ceiling and an apartment in Mexico City anchored by a cruciform cabinet.
    Cadena frequently collaborates on projects with Esrawe, offering art direction, concept design and brand identity.
    Track lighting inside the pavilion and uplights in the plants create an atmospheric setting at nightOther projects the two studios have completed together include Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara and the Tierra Garat cafe in Polanco, Mexico City.
    The photography is by Alejandro Ramírez.
    Project credits:
    Concept and experience: Esrawe + CadenaArchitecture, interior design, furniture: Esrawe StudioDisplay and artwork design: Cadena ConceptsDesign team: Heisei Carmona, Nuria Martin, Laura Vela, Ángel Durán, Raúl Araiza, Rodrigo Romero, Pablo ÁvilaVisualisations: Yair UgarteScale models: Alejandro Uribe, David DíazWood: MicmacStructure: Sergio LópezInstallations: JLC RemodelacionesLandscaping: Arturo FloresLighting: Lighteam

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    Vitra extends European presence with showroom openings in heritage buildings

    Promotion: Swiss furniture brand Vitra is expanding its European presence through a programme of showroom openings in renovated, distinctive historic buildings.

    The brand, which is known for high-end office and home furniture by leading designers, has embarked on a programme of showroom expansion and renovation to add to its global presence.
    “All Vitra showrooms reflect an agile and flexible platform to showcase our office and home concepts, including both Vitra and Artek,” said the brand.
    “We are keen to present the collaboration and synergies with our partners in spaces designed for communal work, activities and events.”
    It has recently opened or renovated showrooms in Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Oslo and Stockholm.

    Vitra recently opened a showroom in OsloVitra’s latest showroom opened last month in Oslo. Set within a 1930s metal factory in the resurgent Skøyen district, the understated interior was designed to contrast the industrial structure and set the base for the brand’s curated furniture collections.
    The space contains offices for Vitra local staff and also functions as a place for the brand to host architects and designers.
    It also opened a showroom in renovated building in MadridEarlier this year in Madrid’s bustling Salamanca district, Vitra opened a showroom within a 1920s art nouveau building originally designed by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios as a power supply facility for the city’s metro system.
    The space was renovated by Spanish studio Carlos Manzano Arquitectos to create a bright and open space that showcases many of the building’s original features.
    Topped by a distinctive steel and glass roof, the space combines office space for Vitra’s Madrid staff along with a showroom space, Vitra Colour & Material Library and a Task Chair Lab.
    “One of our main goals was to peel off added elements to reveal the beauty of the spacious interior,” said Till Weber, creative director interiors and scenography.
    “We also tried to maintain as much as possible of the original structure. For example, we tore out an entire kitchen installed by the former tenant to reveal wonderfully preserved brick walls.”
    Its Amsterdam showroom overlooks the city’s portIn Amsterdam, Vitra recently opened another showroom on the dockside in the city’s Houthavens district within an old industrial munitions complex.
    Vitra’s Amsterdam home was designed by London-based interiors studio SevilPeach, which was shortlisted for interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.
    Described as “breathtaking” by Vitra chairman Rolf Fehlbaum, the pared-back space features several showrooms, a shop, offices, canteen, a workshop and warehouse spaces.
    Vitra’s London showroom opened in the Tramshed in ShoreditchIn London, Vitra recently opened a showroom in another heritage building – the Grade II-listed Tramshed in Shoreditch.
    Originally built as a power station for the East London Tramway in 1905, the building was renovated to draw attention to its original features including the central roof light.
    Along with the showroom openings, Vitra also recently renovated its Stockholm showroom. The brand also has European showrooms in Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague and Paris as well as outside Europe in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.
    The Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus is its flagship storeThe target audience for Vitra’s showrooms are B2B professionals, dealers, artists and designers. For its private clients, Vitra caters via its authorised dealer network and its own online shops.
    Additionally, there is the Vitra Campus in Weil Am Rhein in Germany, which contains the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flagship store.
    “The VitraHaus is a unique building that we have been working on for more than a decade,” said Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra.
    “During this time, we have learned more about the building and about interiors in general: what does the building want? What suits it? What are the recipes for a good room? What is missing from our collection to make an interior even more meaningful or appealing? The interior we have now created reflects our answers to these questions and it is an ongoing project.”
    Vitra creative director interiors and scenography Till Weber said: “In addition to the Vitra Campus, the Vitra brand should also be tangible and visible at a local level.”
    “Depending on the location and surroundings there is a tailored concept, different colour scheme, a different product selection – but the Vitra DNA can always be experienced.”
    Find out more about Vitra’s showrooms on its website.
    Partnership content
    This article was written by Dezeen for Vitra as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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