More stories

  • in

    Dezeen Debate features “an elegant melange and a triumph of design sensitivity”

    The latest edition of our Dezeen Debate newsletter features a refurbished apartment in Milan by design studio David/Nicolas with interior details by architect Gio Ponti. Subscribe to Dezeen Debate now.

    David/Nicolas has redesigned the interiors of a 1920s Milan apartment, originally designed by architect Mario Borgato and refurbished by Ponti, blending contemporary details with original features.
    Readers praised the apartment, calling it “an elegant melange and a triumph of design sensitivity” and adding “I love that wood panelling with artistic detail.”
    Skyscraper by Pei Architects follows “Toronto’s rich tradition of concrete”Other stories in this week’s newsletter that fired up the comments section included a skyscraper in Toronto, Canada, by Pei Architects, recently unveiled Saudi Arabian stadiums that are set to host the 2034 football World Cup and US start-up Friend’s plans to launch an AI-powered necklace wearable that aims to fight loneliness.
    Dezeen Debate

    Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features a selection of the best reader comments and most talked-about stories. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Debate or subscribe here.
    You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Agenda is sent every Tuesday containing a selection of the most important news highlights from the week, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design.

    Read more: More

  • in

    David/Nicolas balances classic and contemporary in renovated Gio Ponti apartment

    French-Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas has refurbished a Milan apartment from the 1920s, bringing in contemporary details while retaining features added by Italian architect Gio Ponti.

    The art deco-style apartment, originally designed by Mario Borgaro in 1923, was refurbished by Ponti in 1952. Since then, much of the fit-out was torn away by the apartment’s previous owners, who auctioned off some of the furniture and wall panelling.
    David/Nicolas has redesigned the interiors of a 1920s Milan apartmentThe current owner, investment banker Michele Marocchino, initially brought on David/Nicolas to create wainscoting for two of the rooms, The Studio and The Dressing, which sit between the living room and the bedroom.
    But Marocchino later decided that the studio’s founders, David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, should work on the entire space to reimagine Ponti’s recognisable style for the 21st century.
    The updated interior pays homage to Gio Ponti’s refurbishment from 1952″Our goal was to honour Gio Ponti’s design by incorporating his vision while integrating our own identity, avoiding a mere replica of the original,” the duo told Dezeen.

    “The signature elements of a Gio Ponti space include intricate details, wooden joinery, distinct edges of wooden panels and a floor plan that creates engaging visual directions by redefining the way the space is lived, as well as creating specific perspectives that guide the eye.”
    David/Nicolas’s design balances classic and contemporary elementsThe refurbished apartment, now dubbed Casa di Fantasia, comprises a spacious kitchen, a dressing room, a primary bedroom and another bedroom with a multifunctional room at the back of the apartment.
    Other distinct spaces include a large living room with a bar, plus a study and movie room.
    David/Nicolas’s approach to the redesign was dictated by Ponti’s work on perspectives, recreating rooms lost during previous renovations while respecting their original proportions.

    Monolithic green marble forms “majestic wall” in Milan apartment

    Ponti’s use of swirly radica wood in his refurbishment was referenced through decorative tiger-patterned marquetry, which was used to adorn several of the rooms.
    “The tiger wall pattern is a reinterpretation of the Radica wood panelling, which has a similar movement to the tiger pattern,” the duo explained.
    “We thought it was a good idea to use it, as it diverges from the original design while still maintaining a similar movement in the wood.”
    Tiger-patterned walls offer a modern reinterpretation of Ponti’s use of Radica wood Key features of Ponti’s refurbishment that David/Nicolas discovered were still in place include the panelling around the entryway as well as a pink bathtub and shower unit, which the duo refurbished.
    Tiles by Italian sculptor and ceramist Fausto Melotti that originally covered the entire bathroom were also retained.
    “Since many of these tiles were sold at a Philips auction, we utilised the remaining ones on the wall behind the vanities,” said David/Nicolas. “To enhance these tiles and the bathtub, we covered the rest of the walls with micro concrete.”
    Ponti’s pink bathtub and shower units were retainedDavid/Nicolas also designed a plethora of new furniture pieces for Casa di Fantasia, such as the two main couches of the living area, the sofa in the library, a free-standing bar, the lamp above the dining table and some sconces in cast aluminium.
    Both hailing from Beirut, Raffoul and Moussallem met while studying architecture at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in 2006 before going on to found their studio in 2011.
    Tiles by Fausto Melotti now serve as a backsplashPreviously, David/Nicolas created furniture inspired by the night sky and Beirut’s history, which went on display for an exhibition titled Supernova at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in New York City in 2019.
    Other Milan apartment refurbishments that have recently been featured on Dezeen include Teorema Milanese’s marble makeover by Marcante-Testa and Untitled Architecture’s overhaul of a small attic.
    The photography is by Sara Magni.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Eligo Studio creates homely Milan showroom for winemaker Masciarelli

    A display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather forms the centrepiece of this apartment-style showroom in Milan, designed by local firm Eligo Studio for Italian winemaker Masciarelli Tenute Agricole.

    The showroom on Corso Magenta was conceived by Eligo Studio as a warm and welcoming space, where visiting clients and members of the press can sample Masciarelli’s wines and experience the brand’s culture in an informal yet professional setting.
    Masciarelli has opened a showroom in Milan”We strongly believe that retail spaces should have a domestic, experiential and welcoming atmosphere,” Eligo Studio founder Alberto Nespoli told Dezeen.
    “We look to avoid cliches and fashions and instead create a timeless aesthetic.”
    A display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather forms its centrepieceThe studio worked together with Masciarelli to define a brief for the project that reflects the winemaker’s passion for art, as well as ideas around local culture and tradition.

    The interior comprises different functional areas including a kitchen, dining and living room, connected by passages and unified by a consistent, tannin-rich colour palette.
    The showroom was designed to resemble an apartmentThe domestic feel results from the size of the spaces and the treatment of elements such as the exposed ceiling beams, which were sandblasted and carefully restored.
    The rooms feature rich tones and tactile materials such as the lime plaster on the walls and lacquered woods in burgundy, chocolate and cream that are complemented by furniture upholstered in soft leather.

    Zooco Estudio creates cave-like wine shop in Spain

    At the centre of the 120-square-metre floor plan is a display unit wrapped in burgundy-coloured leather that provides functional storage as well as displaying a collection of Masciarelli bottles in backlit niches.
    Flooring throughout the showroom is made from resin, which provides a practical and neutral backdrop for the more colourful and textural surfaces.
    The kitchen features an island that functions as a chef’s table for tastings, cooking displays and presentations. Its tapered outline was designed to reference the iconic Pirelli Building designed by Milanese architect Gio Ponti.
    The kitchen features an island informed by Gio Ponti’s Pirelli BuildingIn the dining room, a large oval table and leather chairs by Mario Bellini provide a relaxed setting for hosting press events, tastings and meetings.
    The showroom also features an informal living room with a sofa, armchairs and a large artwork by painter Nicola Troilo. Eligo Studio and Masciarelli worked together to select the art in the showroom, with a focus on artists from the Abruzzo region where the winery is based.
    To maintain a minimal aesthetic throughout the spaces, bespoke joinery was crafted to conceal functional areas including workstations hidden within cabinets in the entrance hall.
    Art by Nicola Troilo hangs in the living roomA mirrored door slides open to reveal the WC, where walls are painted in a colour chosen to evoke wines from the famous Montepulciano region in Tuscany.
    Nespoli founded Eligo Studio with Domenico Rocca to offer clients an “Italian interior design couture approach”.
    Similar shop interiors that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a wine cave in Valldolid, Spain, and a Williamsburg wine bar with “soothing” interiors.

    Read more: More

  • in

    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.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Vincent Van Duysen transforms Milanese palazzo into “sensual” Ferragamo store

    Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen has completed a boutique in Milan for Italian fashion house Ferragamo, featuring red marble panels and an alcove covered in ceramic petals that offset the original Renaissance-style interiors.

    The store is located within Palazzo Carcassola Grandi, which was originally built in the 15th century and now occupies a prime spot on Milan’s Montenapoleone fashion street.
    Vincent Van Duysen has designed Ferragamo’s Montenapoleone boutiqueThe palazzo was remodelled in the 19th century when it was home to Emilio Morosini – a member of the Italian unification and independence movement known as the Risorgimento.
    Van Duysen chose to retain much of the building’s historic character while introducing some surprising contemporary details.
    Footwear is displayed in a large salon”With this project, we tried to express a timeless Italianicity that is steeped in Ferragamo’s DNA,” said Van Duysen. “A sensual theatrical setting, where the scenic screen is luxuriously elevated and used as a backdrop and space dividing element at the same time.”

    “The skilful juxtaposition of modern, essential elements and materials with existing structures such as the columns and the cross vaults creates a pleasing contrast that enhances every feature.”
    An alcove is decorated in ceramics by Andrea MancusoAt the heart of the 280-square-metre interior is a large salon for displaying Ferragamo’s footwear. A minimal material palette comprising Venetian stucco walls, stone flooring and off-white painted ceilings allows the original details to stand out.
    Large mirrors set in simple bronze frames enhance the sense of space, while slabs of mottled Napoleon Red marble provide a punchy contrast that nods to the favourite colour of the company’s founder, Salvatore Ferragamo.
    The rest of the spaces are organised and designed to evoke the rooms of a grand villa, each with a unique character tailored to reflect the collections it holds.

    Peter Saville updates Ferragamo brand identity with custom typeface

    “The design originates far in the past, in the person of Salvatore Ferragamo himself, who liked to receive his customers as if in his home living room,” explained Marco Gobbetti, Ferragamo’s CEO and managing director.
    “This was precisely how he thought of his shop, as a place to come together and converse. This starting point has brought us to this contemporary expression of the intimacy of home and Italian-ness.”
    As customers move through the sequence of rooms, they come across areas dedicated to footwear, bags, accessories and clothing, before finally descending a short stone staircase to reach a space displaying silk items.
    Marble detailing features throughout the storeFerragamo worked with contemporary designers and gallerists to curate a collection of unusual objects and furniture intended to embody the store’s “contemporary Renaissance spirit”.
    An alcove visible through one of the windows is covered in sea-blue ceramics crafted by Andrea Mancuso of Milanese studio Analogia Project, using the same technique he developed for the Aquario collection for Nilufar Gallery in 2022.
    Mancuso also used the circular ceramic petals, intended to evoke fantastical aquatic flora, to form a display table placed at the boutique’s entrance.
    Side tables by Andrea Anastasio stand in the vestibule next to the changing roomsSide tables found in spaces including a lounge-like vestibule next to the changing rooms are from Andrea Anastasio’s Corallium collection for Giustini/Stagetti Gallery and consist of coloured stone pieces stitched together using leather string.
    JoAnn Tan’s Stockholm-based studio created the display tables seen in the windows, which are covered with leather fringe reclaimed from Ferragamo’s production sites.
    Van Duysen is known for his multidisciplinary work for the hospitality, fashion and furniture sectors, and has been the creative director of Italian design brand Molteni&C since 2016.
    JoAnn Tan’s fringed display tables can be seen from the outsideAs part of his role, the architect has revamped the firm’s corporate showroom in Giussano, Italy, and designed a “palazzo-like” showroom in New York.
    Salvatore Ferragamo established his first business focusing on ladies’ footwear in 1927. In addition to footwear, the firm now produces luxury goods such as bags, accessories and ready-to-wear clothing, all of which are displayed at the Via Montenapoleone showroom.
    In 2022, British graphic designer Peter Saville updated Ferragamo’s brand identity, replacing its handwritten logo with a custom serif typeface that references stone inscriptions.

    Read more: More

  • in

    FDA designs playful colour-block interiors for Italian seaside hotel

    Italian architecture office FDA has updated several guest rooms and suites at the family-friendly Hotel Haway on Italy’s Adriatic coast, introducing bespoke furniture in colours that evoke the sea and mountains.

    Fiorini D’Amico Architetti (FDA) was tasked with modernising the interiors of the 50-room hotel in Martinsicuro, a popular seaside resort in the Abruzzo region.
    FDA has updated the 1980s interiors of Hotel HawayThe first phase of the project involved refreshing rooms on the fifth floor of the 1980s building to make them more appealing for all sorts of families.
    “The main goal we wanted to achieve with the design of the new rooms was to create a unique space where guests can discover a new way of feeling at home,” said Alessio Fiorini, who founded FDA together with fellow architect Roberto D’Amico.
    The studio brought in colours of the nearby sea”The spaces emphasise the importance of being together, the joy of sharing happy moments and the refreshment that comes from a sense of community,” he added.

    The architects sought to inject a sense of creativity and surprise into the rooms by incorporating colourful bespoke elements such as bed frames, bunk beds and built-in furniture.
    Bespoke details include lozenge-shaped mirrors by PolvanesiHotel Haway has views of the sea as well as the nearby Apennines mountains, which led FDA to reference both of these features in its welcoming colour palette.
    Colour blocking was used to create visual separation between different zones within the rooms, where walls, floors, ceilings and furniture are finished in shades of blue or green.
    One of the custom-made elements in the sea-facing rooms is a double bed with a pull-out cot hidden underneath. A headboard that emerges from one side functions as a backrest so families can lounge together on the bed.

    Archiloop converts 12th-century Italian monastery into hotel Vocabolo Moscatelli

    Some of the rooms feature bunk beds with curtains for privacy and guard rails incorporating playful tensioned bungee ropes in matching colours.
    Other bespoke details include vertical lozenge-shaped mirrors fabricated by Polvanesi – an industrial carpentry workshop and regular FDA collaborator.
    The lighting was designed to create different atmospheres throughout the day, with bright ambient lights for daytime play and more targeted task lighting for evening relaxation.
    Several of Hotel Haway’s rooms also feature a small deskThe en suite bathrooms are decorated with ceramic tiles featuring playful geometric patterns. High-quality fixtures and finishes including speckled Staron countertops bring these spaces up to modern standards.
    According to FDA, the rest of the hotel is set to be refurbished in a similar style over the next four years. The project will include the ground floor areas including the lobby and breakfast room, as well as all outdoor spaces and two top-floor suites with private terraces.
    Other Italian hotels that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a converted 12th-century monastery and a cliffside hotel that incorporates medieval stone defences.
    The photography is by Carlo Oriente.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Archiloop converts 12th-century Italian monastery into hotel Vocabolo Moscatelli

    A 12th-century monastery in Italy’s Umbria region has become a boutique hotel in the hands of Florence studio Archiloop, which aimed to retain the site’s “rustic simplicity” during its renovation.

    Vocabolo Moscatelli sits in the countryside near the hamlet of Calzolaro, close to the Tuscan border, on a remote estate surrounded by woodland.
    Vocabolo Moscatelli occupies a converted monastery in UmbriaThe property was discovered by chef concierge Frederik Kubierschky and his partner Catharina Lütjens, who set about restoring the various 800-year-old stone buildings with the help of architect Jacopo Venerosi Pesciolini of Archiloop.
    Aiming to retain the historic charm and as much of the original features as possible, the team kept the original wooden floors, exposed terracotta brickwork and ceiling beams, alongside brass, iron and stone details.
    The original brick and stone buildings were restored by ArchiloopThey worked with local craftspeople on the restoration of these elements and incorporated new pieces by artists and designers from across the region, too.

    “Vocabolo Moscatelli brings together the stone mason, blacksmith and woodworker with the artisan makers: ceramicists, tile makers and painters, creating a boutique style canvas that plays homage to the past while bringing in the design references of the now,” said the hotel team.
    Timber ceiling beams are left exposed throughout the hotelNew additions to the site include a travertine swimming pool, coloured to match the surrounding woodland and Mediterranean landscaping by Fabiano Crociani.
    “Threaded smoothly together, the effect is a template of rustic simplicity with heart,” the team said.
    Each of the property’s 12 guest suites is unique and includes a custom bed frameVocabolo Moscatelli offers 12 spacious guest suites: eight in the main building and four more dotted around the landscaped grounds, all with a “monastic chic” style.

    Bolza family turns 1,000-year-old Italian castle into Hotel Castello di Reschio

    Each includes a unique colour palette and collection of design pieces, like a sculptural black two-person bathtub on one of the terraces and the various handmade beds.
    The Bridal Suite includes a round canopy bed and a private garden, while the Spa Suite has its own sauna and jacuzzi.
    Some of the suites have sculptural al fresco bathtubsFurniture and products were sourced from Italian brands, such as outdoor furniture by Paola Lenti and lighting from Davide Groppi and Flos.
    Handmade glazed tiles by local Umbrian company Cotto Etrusco adorn the bathrooms, contrasting the rough stonework of the building’s thick walls.
    New additions to the estate include a travertine swimming poolMany historic buildings across Umbria have been converted into guest accommodations, from remote holiday homes like the Torre di Moravola watchtower to sprawling rural estates like Castello di Reschio.
    Several monasteries in Italy have also found new life as hotels, including the Monastero Arx Vivendi near Lake Garda.
    The photography is by Fabio Semeraro.

    Read more: More

  • in

    Italian modernist architecture informs Bottega Veneta store in historic Milan galleria

    Fashion house Bottega Veneta has opened a boutique designed by its creative director Matthieu Blazy inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade in Milan.

    Bottega Veneta’s two-storey store is distinguished by three primary materials: glass, Italian walnut and green Verde Saint Denis marble.
    A spiral staircase greets shoppers at the Bottega Veneta store in MilanThis trifecta is applied in strict grids to evoke Italian modernism and provide an organising principle in the various rooms.
    “There are different experiences of space in the store,” said Blazy. “I wanted to express the idea of a domestic interior referring to Italian modernist architecture that contrasts with the aesthetic of a spaceship and to capture the intimacy and the imagination of getting dressed.”
    Grids are used throughout the store to organise materialsFrom the galleria, shoppers are greeted by a dramatic spiral staircase made entirely from Italian walnut – a material used throughout the interior as panelling, modular shelving and furniture.

    Green marble is laid in squares across the floors, separated by strips of walnut and occasionally swapped for larger patches of dark green wool carpet.
    Glass blocks are integrated into the walls and ceilingsSquare glass blocks are similarly arranged into grids across walls and ceilings, illuminated from behind to produce a soft warm glow throughout the store.
    Green leather chairs and benches are accompanied by custom rounded wood tables and stools to form lounge areas.
    “Throughout the space, soft textures are found in leather seating and wool carpets, while modular shelving units build a sense of discovery and play,” Bottega Veneta said.
    The fitting rooms feature leather niches that provide a place to sitFitting rooms are fully lined in walnut, except for leather-wrapped niches that provide a small seat, giant mirrors with built-in lighting and more green carpet.
    Sculptural polished metal elements form the door pulls and clothes hooks, their smooth surfaces contrasting with the more textured golden planters and entrance handles.

    Bottega Veneta channels Veneto design sensibilities at Sloane Street store

    On the upper level, recesses formed by the Galleria’s arched windows provide nooks for seating and plants, as places to look out onto the highly decorative arcade.
    Designed in 1861 by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, the neo-classical Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of Milan’s most desirable shopping destinations.
    Polished metal sculptures form door pulls and clothing hooks in the fitting roomsThe four-storey, glass-vaulted double arcade is located in the city centre, close to other landmarks like the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala.
    The new Bottega store is the latest to open under Blazy since he took the reigns of the luxury brand in 2021, following locations on London’s Sloane Street and the Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
    The new store is located in the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcadeFor the brand’s Spring Summer 2023 runway show, Bottega Veneta collaborated with Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, who envisioned a colourful resin-covered floor and 400 bespoke cotton-and-resin chairs for the set.
    Pesce later went on to create a pair of handbags for the brand, which were designed to suggest different bucolic landscapes.
    The photography is courtesy of Bottega Veneta.

    Read more: More