Elle Decor IT (October 2022)

Теги: magazine magazine elle decor

ISBN: 1120-4400

Год: 2022

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Текст

October 2022
Year 33 no 10 € 4.50

The
international
design
magazine
on interiors
and trends
lifestyle
architecture
and art

DESIGNER LANDSCAPES
IN MILAN, PARIS, SYDNEY
Designer pieces, unexpected
materials and flashes of colour
define the latest metropolitan
interiors COMFORT ZONE
In New Zealand, a lodge
surrounded by nature
TRENDS The moon inspires
projects by creatives
GREEN An urban jungle
in the heart of Bergamo

DESIGNER
LANDSCAPE

Hearst Magazines Italia S.p.A.
Via R. Bracco 6, 20159 Milan – Ph. 02 6619 1

Editor-in-Chief

Livia Peraldo Matton
lperaldo@hearst.it
Managing Editor
Filippo Romeo — fromeo@hearst.it
Art director
Valeria Settembre — vsettembre@hearst.it
Editorial staff
Francesca Benedetto (interiors, lifestyle, travel) — fbenedetto@hearst.it
Tamara Bianchini (styling, decoration, product) — tbianchini@hearst.it
Murielle Bortolotto (styling, decoration, product) — mbortolotto@hearst.it
Paola Carimati (news, design, research) — pcarimati@hearst.it
Graphic designers
Elena Santangelo (senior editor) — esantangelo@hearst.it
Carlo D'Amico (layout) — cdamico@hearst.it
Photo editor
Cinzia Rossi — cinzia.rossi@hearst.it
Assistants
Roberta Salvioni (editing, production) — rsalvioni@hearst.it
Contributors
Piera Belloni, Porzia Bergamasco, Marta Lavinia Carboni, Ana Cardinale, Mariapia Coppin,
Contextus/We Translate Design, Chiara Dal Canto/Living Inside, Germano D'Acquisto, Flavia Giorgi,
Eleonora Grigoletto, Laura Maggi, Paola Maraone, Marzia Nicolini, Gaetano Zoccali
Photographers
Heleno Barbetta / Living Inside, Anuschka Blommers, Federico Cedrone, De Pasquali Maffini,
Adrien Dirand, Andrea Ferrari, Felix Forest, Delfino Sisto Legnani, Takumi Ota,
Simone Picchi / p&p photografia, Jonas Bjerre Poulsen, Niels Schumm, Simon Wilson
Graphic design concept
Designwork
Digital
Luca Lanzoni (Digital Fashion Director) — llanzoni@hearst.it
elledecor.it
Alessandro Valenti (Digital Director) — alessandro.valenti@contractor.hearst.it
Carlotta Marelli (Digital Managing Editor) — cmarelli@hearst.ch
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Isabella Prisco (Junior Content Editor) — isabella.prisco@hearst.ch
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Editor-in-Chief Livia Peraldo Matton
Publisher Hearst Magazines Italia S.p.A., Via R. Bracco 6, 20159 Milan
Registration with the Court of Milan No. 46 on 18 January 1990
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CLARIFICATIONS
In the story ‘Botanical Manifesto‘, published in Elle Decor n.9/2022 on p. 59, the architectural project of the private villa in Lugano,
at the opening of the story is by Corinna Cappa Maria Venco Architetti. Additionally, the author of the image on p. 64 (Lugano)
is Corinna Cappa. We apologise to the readers and all interested parties.

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n. 10—2022

129

89
146
NEWS+CULTURE
16 elledecor.it
Digital contents of the magazine
also on Facebook and Instagram
19 Password
Interiors with a view:
homes are defined by a new
designer landscape
21 Likes
Places, events, objects.
This month’s favourites
30 Crossing
Mysterious and evocative,
the moon is always a source of
inspiration

86 People
The cyber projects of architect
Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli
89 Thinking
Energy conservation at the heart
of homes of today and tomorrow
123 Design sharing
In Kastellorizo, the project
for an artist residence
129 Green
In Bergamo, at the 12th edition
of ‘I Maestri del Paesaggio’
recounted by Cassian Schmidt
221 Nb
October exhibitions, events and
openings

DESIGN+ARCHITECTURE

STYLE+DECOR

55 Studio visit
In Milan, guests of the ‘modular
office unit’ by Guglielmo Poletti
65 Design icon/1
Bellini, Prouvé, Superstudio:
the reissues seen at the last
Salone
73 Design icon/2
Vilhelm Lauritzen’s furnishings
are now in production
135 Design store
Projects by a generation
of architects experienced
in floristry

41 Decor-Scouting
Autumn news, exhibitions and
places, trends and projects
115 Design&Craft
In Studio Terre’s small artisan
workshop: an open
and protected space
172 Design Stories
Relaxation corners and
passepartout furniture:
new ways of defining
the domestic space

ELLE DECOR

Ottobre
190

160

Cover

201 Inside-Design
Soft upholsteries, versatile
designs and a metal touch
211 Design-Book
New finishes, marble design
and views

104 Food experience
Äng, the restaurant designed by
Norm Architects: a glasshouse
among Sweden’s vineyards

TRAVEL+FOOD

146 In Milan
With cultured references and
pop influences, architect
Luciano Giorgi reinvents
a Milanese residence.
160 In Paris
Visiting François Laffanour’s
Gallery Home. Among art and
designer pieces

80 Place to be
In Rome, in a former warehouse,
the new concept space
by Simone Menassè

ELLE DECOR

INTERIORS

180 In Sydney
an Art Deco architecture with
neutral colours, classic decor,
art, and mid-century design
190 In New Zealand
A lodge that camouflages
itself to draw attention

New Wave story on page 146
by Francesca Benedetto photos
by Andrea Ferrari

elledecor.it
Elle Decor Italia is also online
with news, videos, photo galleries, features and live reports in real time

Back to Icons The 1960s,
1970s, 1980s and 1990s read
through design, fashion,
books, technology and lifestyle.
A feature article to retrace
a history defined by creativity,
invention and passion.

The
international
design
magazine
on interiors
and trends
lifestyle
architecture
and art

DESIGNER
LANDSCAPE

October 2022
Year 33 no 10 € 4.50

The
international
design
magazine
on interiors
and trends
lifestyle
architecture
and art

DESIGNER
LANDSCAPE

Digital edition
Elle Decor Italia can also be browsed on tablet,
smartphone and kindle fire devices.
Available on the App Store, Google Play and
the Amazon App-shop.

Instagram In the Olgiata district, Rome,
the restyling of a 1980s villa by studio MGK.
A house with a view, over 2,000 metres
above sea level, on the slopes of El Retiro,
Colombia. In Normandy, a two-storey flat
turned into a holiday home by Matali Crasset.

ELLE DECOR

PASSWORD

10.22
[Designer Landscape]

Architectures and interiors conceived as total projects in which each element
acquires value by dialoguing with the other. From furnishings to artwork, from layout to
decoration, everything contributes to define a unified whole. Just like in the composition
of a painting; objects, partitions, surfaces and materials generate a domestic landscape
with a unique character. In this issue, the focus is on renovations that rescue the existing
by updating it: by absorbing the distinctive architectural features designed by a great
master, or by reinterpreting the industrial personality of an abandoned building and to
give it new life. All this takes place without any nostalgia for the past, but great respect
for the innovative value of the project. A theme that is tackled on a large and small
scale. Not only in the case of designer collectibles, but also through the phenomenon of
re-editions, investigated in several of the magazine’s reports. The common thread is
always the quality of the design. A quality reaching beyond the ages, endorsed by
the interest of the public, seduced by the charm of a 1950s armchair now reintroduced
as a special edition; who appreciates the disruptive nature of a piece of furniture
first produced in the 1960s while thinking about the future. Or who chooses an iconic
1970s sofa revisited with new fabrics and sustainable materials, still very current.
19

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR LIKES

[1]
Hotel Chimera, designed by Elena
Salmistraro for Florim, is the
unique and limited-edition ceramic
work of almost 20 square metres
donated to support the project
‘Doppio Senso. Percorsi Tattili alla
Collezione Peggy Guggenheim’
(Double Entendre. Tactile Paths at
the Peggy Guggenheim Collection):
the whole became a puzzle
of 80 unique, hand-signed pieces
by the designer, which sold out in
a solidarity click. florim.com

The Peggy Guggenheim’s tactile
catalogue: an inclusive project

Photo © Vanni Borghi

by Paola Carimati

‘Doppio Senso. Percorsi Tattili alla Collezione Peggy Guggenheim’ (Double Entendre.
Tactile Paths at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection), is the ‘tactile visit’ project presented
by the American foundation at Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, in Venice, for the 30th anniversary
of Guggenheim Itrapresæ. It is a truly experimental operation, driven by the desire of the
entire museum team, suitably educated and trained, to promote the museum’ social role:
the concept, in fact, stems from the sensitivity of offering sighted, visually impaired and blind
people equal access to culture. In collaboration with the Istituto dei Ciechi di Milano
and Florim — which contributed by donating the proceeds from the sale of the Hotel Chimera
puzzle by Elena Salmistraro (80 unique, hand-signed pieces by the designer) —
the Guggenheim created thermoformed and resin relief reproductions of 10 author’s
canvases from the collection, each complete with descriptive panels written in Braille and
very clear characters. Guided by the voice of Valeria Bottalico, the creator and curator of the
itinerary, all visitors, including children, are accompanied on a tour that has been turned
into a completely autonomous exploration. The experience of contemplation then moves from
the canvas to sculpture, thanks to the contribution of the blind artist Felice Tagliaferri,
who with his ceramic workshop teaches how to relate the (touched) detail to its whole. —
21

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR LIKES

Photo © Patrick Tourneboeuf/ RMN_GP/ Tendance Floue

[2]
The Grand Palais Éphémère’s
impressive exterior view
of the Champ-de-Mars and the
Eiffel Tower. The 10,000 square
metre temporary exhibition
pavilion designed by architect
Jean-Michel Wilmotte will host
Paris+ par Art Basel until 2024.
parisplus.artbasel.com

The international fair, Art Basel,
moves to Paris. Under the Eiffel Tower
by Germano D’Acquisto

It is one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year. Art Basel, the world’s most
prestigious modern and contemporary art fair, lands on the banks of the Seine.
And it does so with all the honours. It will be called Paris+ par Art Basel, and from 20 to 23
October it will inhabit the spaces of the Grand Palais Éphémère, before moving in 2024
to the Grand Palais, which has undergone an intense revamp in recent months. In the spaces
of the temporary exhibition pavilion, designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte right in front of the
Eiffel Tower, the crème de la crème of international galleries will parade: 156 in all, chosen
from over 700 candidates (140 in the Main sector and 16 in the Émergentes section),
coming from around thirty countries. But that’s not all. The Parisian event, directed
by Clément Delépine, will go beyond the borders of Champ-de-Mars and extend to various
urban areas: from the Jardin des Tuileries, where 25 open-air installations will be exhibited
(including those by the Argentinean abstract sculptor, Alicia Penalba, not to be missed)
to Place Vendôme; from the Centre Pompidou, which will host the eagerly anticipated
retrospective of the American figurative painter Alice Neel, ‘Un regard engagé’, to the
Chapelle des Petits-Augustins des Beaux-Arts de Paris. In short, if in Basel the public arrives
almost exclusively for the fair, in Paris the opportunities are endless. —
23

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR LIKES

[3]
Mario Cucinella redesigns the Milan
headquarters of the Rovati Foundation

Photo Giovanni De Sandre

by Piera Belloni

This cultural institution is at the once private and open to sharing and dialogue:
the Rovati Foundation has inaugurated its headquarters, complete with a museum,
in a 19th-century building in Milan. Restoration, extension and redevelopment were entrusted
to the MCA Mario Cucinella Architects studio, which built two underground floors —
one for exhibitions and the other for researchers, where the Foundation’s Study Collection is
located — and renovated the three above-ground floors. On the street level are the bookshop,
the indoor garden and Andrea Aprea’s bistro café. The tour begins at the entrance, where a
Pietra serena staircase leads to the hypogeum devoted to the Etruscan works: it is an
evocative, semi-dark environment consisting of three circular rooms and one elliptical space
with domed ceilings, completely enveloped by ashlars, also made of Pietra serena.
The ancient artefacts, showcased in thematic areas, are combined with modern and
contemporary artworks so as to establish a dialogue that continues on the main floor.
In these carefully restored rooms, archaeology interacts with works by Warhol, Paolini and
Simeti, among others. There is also the ‘Spazio Bianco’ (White Space) for temporary
exhibitions, currently hosting works by Sabrina Mezzaqui, until 27/11. The second level
houses study rooms and the third the Michelin-starred chef’s restaurant. —

In the underground floor
of the Rovati Foundation,
exhibition rooms with domed
ceilings are wrapped in Pietra
serena ashlars. Here is housed
the permanent exhibition
where important Etruscan
finds interact with works by
Picasso, Kentridge and Fontana.
fondazioneluigirovati.org

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR LIKES

[4]
Clear rooms with fluid shapes
characterise the temporary shop
that the French Maison Hermès has
opened in Rome at Via Condotti
67/A. Designed by Studiopepe,
it is devoted to accessories, small
leather items, beauty products,
and fragrances for men and
women. hermes.com

Intimate, sensual luxury
in the Studiopepe pop-up store

Photo Andrea Ferrari

by Flavia Giorgi

An ephemeral place to tell small stories of timeless elegance. That of simple
and perfect objects that skilful craftsmen give us to enrich our daily lives. The pop-up store
created by Hermès in the heart of Rome is devoted to accessories, small leather items and
beauty products. An enveloping space expressing a concept of quiet luxury, which everyone
can experience in a comfortable and intimate dimension. The interior design is by Arianna
Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto — founders of Milan-based Studiopepe — who chose natural
and traditional Italian materials. In a fluid path through four rooms, the luminosity of marble
powder plaster is reflected on continuous, round-shaped surfaces, while the desktops are
covered in brick-coloured earthenware. The designers’ references to contemporary art
are cultured: from Paolo Scheggi’s elliptical openings that have inspired the backlit niches
carved into the walls, to the playful Fausto Melotti’ sculptures to be reinterpreted in the
burnished brass tubes supporting the silks. The final surprise is the interactive infinity room,
with videos recalling the world of fragrances diffused in the room. —
27

ELLE DECOR

ELLE DECOR LIKES

[5]
Pictured, The Virtual
Meeting Room, which offers
interactive stations where one
can interact with colleagues
on the other side of the world.
‘New Visions of Work’ is the
cornerstone of the 2002 edition
of Orgatec, in Cologne from 25
to 29/10. orgatec.com

New visions of workspaces
on stage in Cologne

Photo Alberto Strada

by Laura Maggi

A fixture for entrepreneurs, retailers and interior architects operating in the field
of workspace design, Orgatec’s 2002 edition, ‘New Visions of Work’, opens its doors from
25 to 29 October. After the impact of the pandemic and the digital transformation have
accelerated the disconnection of work from specific places and times, the spaces of the
Cologne trade fair will showcase a new vision of the working dimension. Ideally, the office
of tomorrow could be anywhere, and the future will see more and more flexible workers
operating creatively and independently. In addition to the presence of around 600
international companies, Orgatec has devised a rich programme of events revolving around
the themes of creativity, flexibility, efficiency, design and technological innovations. On
schedule, also a series of guided tours of the fair conceived by architects and aimed at fellow
designers, curated by prestigious architectural firms with a focus on themes such as hybrid
work, green office and design, to provide an overview of the main solutions and concepts on
stage. Elle Decor Italia, which has always been attentive to the evolution of workspaces and
their future — think of ‘Elle Decor at Work. The Evolution of Workspace’, an exhibition set up
on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2019 — will also participate in the fair. —
29

ELLE DECOR

SYN Architects, Hometown Moon —
A large glass and concrete semicircle towers
over a body of water, generating the image of a
full moon. The chapel was commissioned by
Lushang Group to encourage visitors to explore
the natural landscape around the city of Tai’an
(China). synarchitects.com

Fly me to the moon
Mysterious, evocative, a symbol of change par excellence.
The moon, the satellite that influences tides and moods, is a source
of inspiration for architects, stylists and designers
by Marta Lavinia Carboni

CROSSING

ELLE DECOR

CROSSING

Olafur Eliasson, ‘Dark matter
collective’ — The work consists of 217
silver and black glass spheres that vary in
their colouring according to the observer’s
point of view, changing into new or full
moons at every step. The Icelandic-Danish
artist is now on show at Palazzo Strozzi
with ‘Olafur Eliasson: Nel tuo tempo’
(Olafur Eliasson: In Your Time), until
22/01/2023. olafureliasson.net

Studio Furthermore, Moon Rock —
With their characteristic material language,
London-based Marina Dragomirova & Iain
Howlett create small pieces of furniture that look
like fragments from lunar craters. Collectable,
made entirely of 100% recycled aluminium from
discarded car wheels. studiofurthermore.com

Valentino Couture, The Beginning —
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Roman fashion show
held in the historic setting of Trinità dei Monti last
July showcased Fall-Winter 2022-23 Haute
Couture. Silver glitter faces and otherworldly
dresses studded with crystals stood out
on the catwalk. valentino.com

ELLE DECOR

Gucci, Cosmogonie — In the
evocative setting of Castel del Monte
in Andria (Bari), under a sky lit by the
full May moon, Alessandro Michele’s
show for the Spring-Summer 2023
collection was staged. The invitation to
the fashion show included a drawing of
the Moon’s phases and a certificate
of ‘adoption’ of a star. gucci.com

ELLE DECOR

Photo Alamy

CROSSING

Kubo Tsushima Architects, Moon Phase —
As part of the renovation project of a 13-room hotel,
the Japanese studio inserts a lamp-installation in the
wall, reproducing the shape and intensity of the Moon’s
phases thanks to a dimming and swivelling system that
can vary according to needs and moods. kbtsm.com

Giuseppe Lo Schiavo, ‘Metafisica’
(Metaphysics) — The NFT animation from which this frame
is taken is set in a metaphysical, lunar-inspired place where
a robot dog (the future of art and technology) witnesses the
destruction of the past (the Greek statue of Diskophoros).
In the centre is the astronaut, symbol of man’s desire to
explore. giuseppeloschiavo.com
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Lunara, Equitone — Inspired by the raw
beauty of the Earth’s satellite, this cladding panel
seems to come from another planet. Made of fibre
cement and with an otherworldly appearance,
no two panels are alike thanks to a special
production process that creates random, unique
surfaces. equitone.com

CROSSING

From the Venice Biennale to the mountains of China,
the moon appears in architectural projects and even in dedicated apps

Fatoumata Kébé, ‘Il libro della
luna’ (The Book of the Moon) —
Brilliant and promising French
astronomist and astrophysicist, Kébé
(pictured) has a dream of being the first
woman to set foot on the moon. In her
book (edited by Blackie, 2021)
she recounts the history, myths and
legends associated with the Earth’s
satellite. From the influence it has on the
tides to the secrets of its formation,
exploring the mysteries of the universe.
blackie-editions.co.uk

ELLE DECOR

operation to promote more tourism in rural areas. “The brief
called for a holistic approach to connect the mountain villages in
the region”, explain the Berlin-based architects. “We chose
to go back to the cradle of Confucianism, reconstructing the
city-countryside relationship”. Hometown Moon therefore evokes
a connection with nature, rediscovers ancient traditions and
generates an economic and social renewal. From the artificial
moon to the real one, with Google Moon (a satellite application
of Google Earth) that, thanks to a few zooms, allows us to
visualise the landing sites of the Apollo missions that took place
between 1961 and 1972. With the ambitious Artemis space
programme, NASA is trying again: the third launch attempt
of the rocket (98 metres long) designed to propel the Orion
capsule to the moon is scheduled for mid-October. The spacecraft
will host the crews, only expected to be on board in 2025,
ready to return to the satellite, thus inaugurating a new season of
space missions. For those who remain on Earth, there is
Moonly, an app to tune into the rhythms of the moon by
harnessing its energy. This is how one learns to cut the hair on a
crescent moon, to never sow on a new moon or bottle on a full
moon, and to always light a white candle on full moon nights.
Ancient rituals that apparently still have a great influence on us,
moon enthusiasts… or maybe lunatics. —
© Laurence Geai

“The moon has always existed”, says Fatoumata Kébé
in her ‘The Book of the Moon’ (Blackie Editions, 2021).
“It changes shape, colour, makes oceans rise, plants grow, fairies
dance. It marks time, gives rhythm and direction to life”.
A symbol of change par excellence, this month it turns orange
(the full moon is scheduled for 9/10) and, rising in a position
closer to the horizon, looks even bigger. At this time of year, it is
in the limelight, starting from the autumn equinox (from 23
September), with shorter and shorter days and more hours of
darkness, waiting for the next spring, when the sun will be back.
Unique but double, because it always hides one of its faces,
it is the Earth’s only satellite, powerful enough to influence the
tides, our biological rhythms and today even creativity, by
inspiring the design world once again. At the last Venice Biennale
Architettura, the Americans from Studio SOM (Skidmore,
Owings & Merrill) together with ESA (European Space Agency)
and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) presented the
Moon Village lunar settlement concept, displaying solar-powered
housing modules designed to withstand extreme conditions.
The Moon was also the protagonist of Gucci’s SS 2023 fashion
show: Alessandro Michele chose an evening of total eclipse to
present the Cosmogonie collection, staging a sort of cathartic rite
in the evocative setting of Castel del Monte in Andria (Bari).
Hiding instead in the remote area surrounding Mount Tai in
China, the moon designed by Syn Architects, Hometown Moon,
is a chapel for celebrations and events in the shape of a
semicircle that, when reflected in the stretch of water below,
generates the image of a full moon. Commissioned by Shandong
Lushang Group, it is part of a larger territorial marketing

decor–scouting
Autumn News/Exhibitions and Places/Trends and Projects

British vibes. Paul Smith imbues
the new interior accessories line
with his signature style. “The way you
choose to decorate your home is
personal, just like when you select a
garment to wear. With this collection,
I have tried to design objects that
brings a little colour and joy”.
Reversible wool or cashmere blankets,
but also cushions and towels featuring
the timeless stripes so loved by
the creative. paulsmith.com

by Murielle Bortolotto
41

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DECORSCOUTING

Magic mirror on the wall.
Designed by Monica Armani for Turri,
Roma has a frame made of monochrome
glossy lacquered wood and a bronzed
finish. Diameter 130 cm. turri.it

Natalia Triantafylli,
Greek but based in London, she
combines physical and digital
dimensions. Hence, his design
idea that takes the form of hybrid
objects consisting of handmade
ceramics with 3D printed details.
Pictured, the Hydra vase. On
Instagram: @nataliatriantafylli

A wave-like movement for the Infinity console
by Cesare Arosio for Laura Meroni. The base is curved, with
a geometric honeycomb pattern, dynamically contrasting
with the smooth-surfaced top. The lacquered wood structure
measures 108x40x80h cm. Savoir-faire and refined design give
life to an eclectic and elegant project. laurameroni.com

Zen break. We are in
Tokyo, at the Jugetsudo Tsukiji
Main Store, a shop devoted to
the tea rite designed by
starchitect Kengo Kuma. In this
place, the hero is the bamboo
plant, which with its flexible
properties becomes a vibrant
material. Inside and out, it
creates unusual layouts,
dividing spaces or becoming a
decorative element. kkaa.co.jp

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DECORSCOUTING

Red-light design. The colour of energy
and love is the new trend of the season. On iconic
lamps and brand-new furniture

[1]

1. New fiery red shade for the tenth
anniversary of Counterbalance, lamp by
Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan. luceplan.com
2. Tizio by Richard Sapper for Artemide turns
fifty and the company celebrates it with the
favourite shade of its legendary creator.
Integrated LED light source. artemide.com
3. Andrea Parisio’s monumental table for
Meridiani is called Italo. Pictured in the red
lacquer finish. meridiani.it 4. Originally available
only in anthracite, today Luminator, designed in
1954 by the Castiglioni brothers for Flos, can be
chosen in four other colours, including the red
variant. flos.com 5. Irregular shape for the Gap
rug designed by àr-o studio for Karpeta. Soft and
handmade. karpeta.com 6. G.O. floor or table
lamp, re-edition of the 1960s designer piece by
Giuseppe Ostuni for Oluce. Available in scarlet
red, black and anodic bronze. oluce.com

[2]
[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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DECORSCOUTING

Dean and Dan Caten,
creative directors of the
fashion brand Dsquared2, are
the authors of the wallpaper
collection of the same name,
for Londonart. Refined hues
and patterns as in the Cement
Horizon wallpaper, pictured,
available in four colour
variants. londonart.co.uk

An ode to beauty. After two years of restyling by
architects Sophie Thuillier and Cristiano Benzoni of Rev
Studio, the Maison de Beauté Carita reopens at 11
Faubourg Saint Honoré, Paris. A special place where to
spend moments of relaxation among tailored facial and
body treatments. Dreaming, a bit for fun, of being like
Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren, some
of the Maison’s famous clients. carita.com

ELLE DECOR

Photo courtesy Carita

Home Totem
A minimalist design defines
the Line wall bookcase by
Busetti for Calligaris. With a
metal structure and shelves
that can be freely positioned
to hold complements and
heart books of different
sizes. Measuring
30x30x180h cm, available
in three colours: black,
bronze and optical white in
a matte finish. calligaris.com

DECORSCOUTING

Temporary store. While waiting for work on the new venue to be completed,
the Bulgari boutique in Milan is moving to Via Gesù 4, to open its doors to the public
in mid-October. Spread on an area of approximately 227 square metres devoted to
sales, the shop is designed according to the concept of architect Peter Marino
who, with bold combinations of colours and materials, conveys the brand’s DNA
and core values. Refined details, from the marble floors to the satin-finished brass
surfaces and the coloured carpets and mirrored walls, mark the rooms. Natural light
makes the place bright and welcoming thanks to the large windows, distinguished
by saffron-coloured sunshades (the brand’s favourite hue). Crossing the threshold,
visitors will be surrounded by the glittering Medium and High Jewellery Bulgari
collections, iconic pieces and a wide range of precious accessories. The furnishings
also make the store special: chairs by Ico Parisi, tables by Mangiarotti,
lamps by Castiglioni and armchairs by Mendini. Nose up to look at the majestic
chandelier by Gio Ponti. bulgari.com

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DECORSCOUTING

Photo Philip Messmann

Donald Judd and John McCracken
(both American artists) are the source of
inspiration for The Shaker system, a project
by fashion designer Raf Simons with Danish
fabric brand Kvadrat. The concept is simple,
characterised by a long horizontal plank to
which a series of accessories made
of Vidar fabric are ‘hooked’. The 26 pieces
that make up the collection, available in
four colour variants, ‘parade’ on the
coloured plank: key rings, bags and trays,
cushions and throws… kvadrat.dk

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DECORSCOUTING

Made of woven fabric,
with a shiny metal buckle, the
hyper-feminine Viv’ Choc bag by
Roger Vivier. A new cult item
from the French maison that can
also be used as a clutch bag
by removing the leather shoulder
strap. rogervivier.com

Versatile and suitable
for any environment, the Sabino series
of tables by Riflessi. The essence of the
design is the central metal base
available in different finishes and
colours: Cobalt, brass finish and
titanium, as well as Reflect Blu, Rose
Gold and Black coloured mirror steel.
The round or square top is fixed
or extendable. riflessi.it
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Photo Margherita Cecchini

Cento % Dino. This is the name
of the scattered exhibition that pays
tribute to the revolutionary entrepreneur
Dino Gavina in the centenary of his
birth. From an idea of Paradiso Terrestre
with the municipality of Bologna,
until 27/11, in three different venues
where visitors can admire objects,
photos and furnishings: Sala d’Ercole,
Palazzo d’Accursio (piazza Maggiore
6); Galleria Paradisoterrestre
(via de’ Musei 4); former Gavina
shop (via Altabella 23). A choral
narration of the values of the ‘tamer of
designers’, as the insiders used to call
him in a friendly way. And yet, he was
‘the most emotional and impulsive of all
furniture makers in the world’, according
to the author of the famous Cesca chair,
Marcel Breuer. paradisoterrestre.it

STUDIO VISIT

The Rope Walker
In Guglielmo Poletti’s offices:
an ethereal space suspended between poetics
and experimentation. Where getting back
to the essence of the project is king
by Paola Carimati — photos by Delfino Sisto Legnani

Born in 1987, Guglielmo
Poletti left Eindhoven to return
to Milan after graduating in
Contextual Design. In 2019,
buoyed by his professional
successes, he devoted himself
to designing his own studio
and transformed a former
construction workshop into
a bright white box.

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STUDIO VISIT

The star of the studio is the birch plywood ‘modular
office unit’ created by the Milanese designer in the joiner’s
workshop of Giacomo Moor. Like a dashboard,
on the ground floor it integrates bed, wardrobe and
storage units with trolley, and supports a desk as well
as a storage and meditation space.

ELLE DECOR

The wooden platform designed
by Guglielmo Poletti is creatively custom-made: from here
the designer dominates the space to shape the world

ELLE DECOR

STUDIO VISIT

Above, a close-up of the mezzanine structure: the heroes
are the black chairs designed by Maarten van Severen
for Vitra and the Parentesi lamps by Achille Castiglioni
and To-Tie by Guglielmo Poletti, both for Flos.
Below, the ‘modular office unit’ behind closed doors.

ELLE DECOR

STUDIO VISIT

The To-Tie lamp by Flos portrayed next to the bed
and on the desk. “Each component has a dual purpose”,
says the designer: “The cable carries electricity and is
a tensioning element; the bar integrates the LED and acts as
a handle; the cylinder holds the bar and diffuses light”.
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“Without reflecting properly on the structural aspect,
for me, the project doesn’t exist”, more than a statement, there is
the suspicion that this is a manifesto of intent from the young
advocate of the international, creative nouvelle vague. In fact, a
cursory glance, crossing the threshold of Guglielmo Poletti’s offices,
does not betray his words: the interior has been studied down to the
last millimetre, organised and as neat as a new pin. Outside there
are the suburbs: we are in the Via Padova area, north of Milan, in
that ‘extreme’ part of the city involved in far-sighted plans for urban
and creative regeneration. Not surprisingly, not far away are the
headquarters of Formafantasma and, just a stone’s throw from the
joiner’s workshop of his friend Giacomo Moor. When in 2019 the
designer decided to leave Eindhoven, in the Netherlands where he
graduated, to return to Italy, he had no doubt about the type of
space he intended to carve out: “Architecture and furnishings follow
functions”, he explains as he guides us around the 170-square
metre property. “At the Design Academy, I learned to combine
more conceptual exploration of design with a more manual aspect.
So, I imagined dividing the floorplan into three areas: a first one,
where I can collect ideas and bring thoughts together, a second,
where I can create and prototype them, and a third where I can
provide a home for them”. Thus, with the complicity of Covid and
Pino, the prior owner of the former building materials warehouse,
Guglielmo transformed an urban archaeological industrial building
into a white, abstract and very light-filled container, inside which his
lets the ‘modular office unit’ coast: a lightweight and resistant birch
plywood structure that, designed in 3D and made by his friend
Moor, fits perfectly along the short side of the building. “A bridge
from where I coordinate all activities”, he says oozing the pride of
those who have put their hands, head and heart into a job. “The
module has been developed on two levels: below, next to the
bedroom, the wardrobe with three storage elements and pull-out

STUDIO VISIT

trolleys, above, the desk with bookcase and meditation platform”,
strictly made of glass for filtering the light. Designing for
Guglielmo Poletti is primarily all about linear thinking, combined
with design rigour and an almost maniacal attention to detail. An
obsession, the latter, that is not overlooked when changing scale
but, on the contrary, is proudly amplified. In the Made in Italy
system, from the start of his career, he has moved forward taking
small, steady and decisive steps. From the collaboration with
Desalto, strongly advocated by art director Gordon Guillaumier,
to the most recent professional liaison with Flos, launched in full
lockdown by Calvi Brambilla, design curator of the brand, without
overlooking the support of gallery owner Rossana Orlandi, who
was the first to promote his work: every random or planned
encounter helped to forge his identity as a designer, edging him
progressively away from art and towards the industrial, exploring
the series process. “Credit goes to Louise Schouwenberg,
Head of Department of the MA Contextual Design course at the
Dutch school”, Poletti recalls, “who, recognising an already
well-defined trait in my work, urged me to reflect on the ‘reasons’:
what is the rationale behind the aesthetic aspect of your shapes?
So, I focused on the building part”. The leaner the process, the more
it expresses the natural beauty of the material. His exploration
revolves around millimetric considerations: sheets, multilayers and
glass, which, put under a tensioning force, yield to creativity without
becoming deformed. The choice of processing techniques — all
precision processes — then completes the work. “Calendering,
grinding and welding are the criteria that enable me to approach
any type of product”, says the designer, who, from the Equilibrium
stool, made of polyurethane rubber, to the To-Tie lamp, with bar,
cable and acrylic diffuser, demonstrates the consistency of his
language. “Nothing is arbitrary, everything has a rationale”.
Otherwise, it would not be his project. —
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Next to the close-up of the Section bench
for the Seeds gallery, which reveals the complexity of
working with a calendered, welded and polished
Corten sheet metal, two other unmissable pieces
by Guglielmo Poletti: the Void console for Desalto and
the Equilibrium seat for Rossana Orlandi.

DESIGN ICON/1

Do it again
‘Reissues’ are a growing phenomenon presenting
itself in different ways and for different reasons.
We discuss three, which were seen at the latest
Salone, designed by Bellini, Prouvé and Superstudio
by Porzia Bergamasco

Le Mura sofa system by
Mario Bellini designed in 1972,
recently reissued by Tacchini
and presented with Kvadrat fabric
upholstery at the Fuorisalone
2022 installation ‘Cinema
Tacchini’, in Spazio Maiocchi,
a project by Formafantasma.

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DESIGN ICON/1

A chair designed 70 years ago is relevant again. With new
finishes and textile coverings. When design is timeless

Fauteuil Kangourou, Jean Prouvé 1948, Vitra 2022 —
“We always try to keep new products as close as possible to the originals.
Whether it’s the materials, the production processes, the colours, we want to
stay true to Prouvé’s originality and philosophy”, says Christian Grosen,
Chief Design Officer at Vitra. For over 20 years the Swiss company has been
collaborating with Catherine, the daughter of French designer Jean Prouvé,
to transform the designs in her father’s archive into new products, which were
mostly created for specific projects that didn’t always end up as series
for mass production, despite Prouvé having pioneered them. Such is the case
for the Fauteuil Kangourou armchair, named after the proportions of the rear
legs that resemble a kangaroo’s. The second version, in a limited edition
of only 100 units, launched in September, combines a dark oak frame with
metal legs and bouclé upholstered cushions in the colour Blanc Colombe.
The first version of 150 units, launched in June, combined the natural oak
frame with legs and upholstery in bouclé Bleu Marcoule. The armchair
was created based on the historic Antony chair, the first piece in the
collection of Vitra’s Emeritus President, Rolf Fehlbaum, and a constant
reference in the development of Prouvé’s collections.

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DESIGN ICON/1

Many Made in Italy companies are attentive to the phenomenon
of reissues. The offerings are refined, celebratory and decidedly current

Quaderna Scrittoio / Quaderna 2750,
Superstudio 1969–1972, Zanotta 2022 —
“The Quaderna collection by Superstudio has featured
in Zanotta’s catalogue since 1972 and has never been
out of production. We wanted to reconsider two
pieces that were never produced and introduce a fresh
tribute in celebration of the series’ 50th anniversary”,
says Giuliano Mosconi, Tecno/Zanotta group’s
President. For the enthusiasts, the ‘architectural forms’
linking the group of architects’ history to the company
now add up to eight. The chequered, notebook-style
laminate and the bridge-like frame are ageless, even
on the ‘new’ desk with drawer. The production
combines a highly industrialised process with patient
craftsmanship employing the inlay technique
(it takes about eight hours to make a single piece).
Today as yesterday, only replacing the screen
printing with digital printing.

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DESIGN ICON/1
Feijns echoes these ideas. With the innate flair of a vintage
collector, in 2007 he founded MidMood-Design, which in 2011
merged into the current Mass Modern in Roosendaal, with a
showroom of about 5,000 square meters. Its premise doesn’t
betray the environmental aspect: “Used goods help us build a
better future, there’s so much beauty around”. But also the
romantic one: “Personally, I’m not a fan of reproductions.
For me, vintage is something personal with a story, it’s the special
thing that you looked for or found by chance and it attracted you.
Not a brand-new piece available manifold. However, the
demand for modern antiques is growing, as is the interest of
younger generations. Companies may realise that it’s worth
making what seemed too costly and in low demand again. For
better or worse, this affects us too. Some previously unknown
pieces gain more attention and thus become desirable.
Others lose value because too visible”. Christian Grosen,
Chief Design Officer at Vitra and creator of two versions of the
limited edition, Fauteuil Kangourou armchair by Jean Prouvé,
anticipates collector’s fears and delights enthusiasts:
“We thought it would be interesting to present it in two
variations, with light and dark wood, and with different textile
combinations, because they imbue each with a truly unique and
individual look. Kangourou was originally produced only
for a few private customers, which is why we liked the idea of
reissuing a limited number of pieces”. —

Le Mura, Mario Bellini, Cassina
1972, Tacchini 2022 —
“Reissues focus on reclaiming the
attraction of timeless design,
demonstrating its iconicity through new
finishes and materials”.
The words of Art Director and Tacchini’s
CEO, Giusi Tacchini, explain why
reissuing a modular sofa created in
1972. Besides enhancing the company’s
artisan manufacturing capabilities, today
the sofa is recreated with the involvement
of Mario Bellini’s himself, who originally
was inspired by the imposing Roman
walls in creating simple modular blocks.
Fifty years on, he faces the latest aesthetic
and ergonomic demands for informal
comfort, which comes back as an
essential furniture style, for small
and large spaces, adapting to
contemporary living’s concept of
relaxation and entertainment.

ELLE DECOR

Photos © Bruno Falchi & Liderno Salvador

For collectors, original modern design pieces have
always been highly sought after; however, interest has spread to
the wider market and companies have made this a new area
of research and development. Thus, “the trend of ‘reissues’,
the search for the great masters of the past, has grown into a real
phenomenon”, agree Roberto Giustini and Stefano Stagetti from
the Roman gallery Giustini/Stagetti, known for its sophisticated
research into 20th century Italian design and its stake in current,
up-and-coming creatives. What are the reasons? “Some
designer’s names and their stories” — they answer – “guarantee
financial rewards capable of legitimising a brand, define its
individual traits, and at the same time provide a less risky
product. A perfect marketing recipe...” Giusi Tacchini, CEO
and Art Director of the family business founded by her father
Antonio in 1967, responds remotely. As a sort of archaeologist,
in 2010 she launched the Design Classic catalogue:
“We retain the original integrity of the projects, but we review the
details and above all, the materials and finishes, making them
more contemporary, adapting them to today’s production
processes. Among the main reasons driving us to choose a
reissue, I believe lies the rediscovery of past avant-garde traits
that have now become desirable. The purpose is not to stumble
upon fleeting styles, but to own a piece of design history that
withstands the concept of time, transforming into an icon”.
Giuliano Mosconi, President of the group uniting two brands,
Tecno and Zanotta founded in the 1950s, the latter acquired in
2017, admits, “the public has rediscovered the value of certain
objects for the home. Interior design, which today defines every
single major brand, has shifted attention to a complex idea of
decor. What captures and drives the choices isn’t novelty, but the
style that each company manages to express. That is how
products are rediscovered and reissued”. Dutchman Etienne

DESIGN ICON/2

The VLA26 Vega Chair, designed
in the 1950s for the halls of the
building in Copenhagen of the
same name, is now in production
by Carl Hansen & Søn with
Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects.

Courtesy of Carl Hansen & Søn

Back on stage
The furniture pieces designed by Danish architect
Vilhelm Lauritzen have been rediscovered: custom-made for
his functionalist architectures, they are now in production.
Always current, now as then, they tell of a timeless design
words by Laura Maggi

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DESIGN ICON/2

Simple, linear and highly refined: the design language ranges
from architecture to furniture, down to the smallest details

Photos Rasmus Hjortshøj

The Vega, or Folkets Hus (The People’s
House, 1935–1956) was designed
by Vilhelm Lauritzen as an entertainment
venue for the labour movement. In 1996,
after a careful refurbishment, the modernist
building was turned into a concert space
with rooms of different capacities
and a nightclub. As usual, the architect
designed not only the furniture, but also
every single detail, from the woodwork,
friezes and chandeliers to the fixtures,
doorknobs and electrical outlets.

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DESIGN ICON/2

Courtesy of Carl Hansen & Søn

Belonging to the Foyer series
is the bench exclusively designed by
Vilhelm Lauritzen for the Radiohuset
in Copenhagen, the building he
worked on from 1937 to 1945, used
as the headquarters of the Danish
national broadcaster Danmarks
Radio. Made of oak, it is now
reissued, together with a sofa and a
lounge chair, by Carl Hansen & Søn
in close collaboration with Vilhelm
Lauritzen Architects and with full
respect for the original design.

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DESIGN ICON/2

‘Architecture is an art that everyone should enjoy,
not a privilege for the few’, Vilhelm Lauritzen liked to repeat

“No life without aesthetics” was the mantra of architect
Vilhelm Lauritzen, among the masters of Danish functionalist and
modernist architecture, although not a household name.
A mantra that inspired all his professional output, leading him to
elaborate a simple, linear and highly refined language, with
attention ranging from the design of the architectural structure
to the furnishings, including the smallest details, such as handles,
handrails and electrical outlets. His idea of a work of art entailed
total control over the entire project and was very close to that
of Gio Ponti, his contemporary. Today, in the year marking the
centenary of the foundation of his studio, which has continued to
be active since 1922 in Copenhagen, two of his furniture projects
are back on stage thanks to the partnership between Vilhelm
Lauritzen Architects and Carl Hansen & Søn, the company that
has put them into production. “The final prototypes were
developed about two years after the first meeting at the offices of
Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects”, says CEO Knud Erik Hansen, third
generation of entrepreneurs. “A wonderful experience; the
furnishing projects were created for the buildings they were
intended to, custom-made, but never produced. With the studio,
we selected two works linked to two famous Copenhagen
building projects designed by Lauritzen: The Radiohuset building
and the Vega cultural centre. Together with the company,
we worked to adapt comfort to meet present day needs, while
preserving the original design that makes the Foyer series,
composed of bench, sofa and lounge chair, timeless”, furniture
that will last a lifetime. “At the same time”, continues Anne Møller
Sørensen, partner of Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, “the VLA26
Vega Chair is an expression of Danish design at its best. It
illustrates the distinctive Lauritzen’s touch: a functionalist, simple
and evergreen design, which at once preserves a well-defined
personality”. Born in 1894, after studying at the Royal Danish
Academy of Fine Arts and a series of projects that never saw
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the light, inspired by a monumental classicism, Lauritzen
encountered the avant-garde of Functionalism, characterised
by structural innovations and the use of materials such as cement.
We find traces of this, for example, in the architecture of the
Copenhagen Airport Terminal (1937–1939) with its original
concrete wave ceiling. “Architecture is an art that everyone
should enjoy, not a privilege for the few”, he liked to repeat; a
belief that stayed with him until his death in 1994. The Foyer
series was conceived for the lobby of Radiohuset, home to
Danish national broadcaster Danmarks Radio and today venue
of the Royal Danish Academy of Music. The building was erected
during World War II when Denmark was under German
occupation. Point of honour for Lauritzen was not allowing the
Nazis to use this space for their propaganda, and,
like Penelope, he succeeded in slowing down its construction,
which began in 1937, completing it only in 1945, the year
of the German surrender. The VLA26 Vega Chair, on the other
hand, belongs to the project for the Vega or Folkets Hus
(The People’s House, 1935–1956) conceived by Vilhelm
Lauritzen as a meeting place for the working class. In 1996, it
was converted, after a careful restoration, into a concert space
hosting, among many others, Prince, David Bowie and Bjork.
“We didn’t have a chair in our collection that was easily
stackable like the Vega Chair, one more reason to put it into
production”, emphasises Knud Erik Hansen, “and it’s very
satisfying to see how these new products, created in the past,
have seamlessly become part of our family”. The collection,
recently also showcased at the London Design Festival, is made
at the factory, founded in 1908 as a joinery, located on the island
of Fionia, a couple of hours drive from Copenhagen.
Here craftsmanship, accrued over the course of a century,
is expressed in woodcraft, in the interweaving of the seats, and
in the processing of leathers and upholstery fabrics. —

Photo Rune Buch

The large hall of the Copenhagen
Airport Terminal, one of the most famous
projects by architect Vilhelm Lauritzen
(1937–1939), underwent restoration in
1998. It is considered among the earliest
examples of Danish functionalist architecture.

Under the spectacular skylight, the lounge of the new Naos
concept space, in Rome. The DJ booth, custom made by skilled
craftspeople, is enhanced by an audio system designed by
Simone Menassè and Oreste Palmarola of Audio Factory. Bespoke
sofas and coffee tables, and vintage chairs by Pierre Jeanneret.

PLACE TO BE

On stage in Rome
Restaurant, mixology bar, music space
and art gallery. In a former warehouse overlooking
the Eternal City, Simone Menassè has designed
a new space devoted to lifestyle
words by Francesca Benedetto — photos by Simone Picchi / p&p photography

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In classical architecture, Naos meant Greek temple,
or rather its inner part featuring the statue of the god to whom the
building was consecrated. Today, it’s the name chosen
for the latest concept space devoted to lifestyle created by
Simone Menassè, already the designer and patron of Cohouse,
the first Coffee Pot and the newly opened The Sanctuary, some of
the most recent and innovative venues of Roman nightlife.
After studying architecture, Simone shared ideas and strokes of
genius with his partner Stefano Papa, designing places that
combine the entertainment world with his passion for design.
We’re in the Ponte Milvio area, inside a former electrical goods
warehouse, now transformed into a restaurant, bar, a space for
music and an art gallery. “The first time I visited the place I
immediately fell in love with it”, says Simone. “The architecture is
characterised by an exposed concrete perimeter wall that
delimits a space of 600 square metres with a large terrace
overlooking the city. Thanks to the work of talented craftspeople,
we have highlighted the original building with its spectacular
central skylight to create a liveable, comfortable and elegant
space that simultaneously incorporates different activities: from
exhibiting furniture and art objects to the contemporary Greek
restaurant and the mixology bar. The brutalist structure has been
softened and embellished though the inclusion of boiserie and
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natural walnut counters, travertine tables, furniture referencing
1950s design such as the vintage chairs and armchairs by
Pierre Jeanneret, or the maxi modular 1970s leather sofa as well
as a selection of my abstract paintings. In some ways, the project
was a personal journey where I was able to experience a
different and innovative approach, that of virtual reality. Before
getting to the final solution, we processed every possible 3D
configuration with Meta Arch studio in Rome. To be able to
‘traverse’ the space and visualise it finished, even before the
works began, allowed me to make decisions that otherwise would
have been impossible”. The space is divided symmetrically
with a large living room at the centre, the undisputed hero
besides the custom-made DJ booth enhanced by a bespoke audio
system. One side features the restaurant area with travertine and
marble tables in different shapes and sizes. These materials also
feature on the horseshoe counter of the mixology bar, around
which one can also dine. An elegant 1950s walnut bookcase
converted into a wine rack grabs one’s attention. From inside the
Naos, one accesses the terrace overlooking the neighbourhood’s
rooftops. Here, the low sofas and wooden furnishings turn the
outdoor space into a large living room with a view. An invitation
to enjoy moments of relaxation among the camphor trees and the
Mediterranean scrub, during Rome’s warm October evenings. —

PLACE TO BE

Surrounding the bespoke walnut
table, vintage chairs by
Pierre Jeanneret and, on the wall,
geometric shapes and minimalist
lines on large decorative
canvases by Simone Menassè.
Opposite page, a corner of the
restaurant, a tribute to 1970s
style with lamps, serigraphs and
an elegant, oval marble-top table.

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“With the help of artisans and set designers, we transformed a former concrete
warehouse into a concept space devoted to music, gastronomy and art”
Simone Menassè

Clockwise from above, a view
of the Naos terrace overlooking the
rooftops of Ponte Milvio, Rome.
Relaxing chairs and sofas with a
travertine base furnish the outdoor
living area beneath the camphor
trees. The bar counter is the place
for entertainment par excellence:
around the horseshoe travertine
slab, one can savour cocktails,
converse and also dine. Decorating
the space is the vintage De Sede
sofa with modular leather elements.
Opposite page, the large skylight
at the centre of the room projects
the furniture’s outlines against the
concrete surface. Bespoke sofa and
coffee tables, vintage chairs by
Pierre Jeanneret and, at the back,
artwork by Simone Menassè.
Some of the objects and artworks
are available for purchase on site.
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PLACE TO BE

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The architect and researcher lives
in Milan, where he founded the
studio 2050+. He teaches ‘Data
Matter’ at London’s Royal College
of Art: the course deals with the
impact of digital content on reality.

PEOPLE

Ippolito Pestellini
Laparelli
Speculative research as a
design horizon for saving the planet:
the architect and curator chooses science
fiction to narrate the future
by Paola Carimati — photos by Anuschka Blommers
and Niels Schumm

He’s decidedly an ‘accelerator’, i.e. an expert in `smart
technology’ who studies which practices to ‘accelerate’ to
counteract the climate crisis. Also due to his unconventional
professional skills, the staff of Rotterdam’s Architecture Biennale
included him among its participants alongside 2050+, the agile
and interdisciplinary planning and speculative research unit
launched in 2020, in Milan. “In order to respond to
contemporary emergencies, the studio acts in a modality that cuts
across technology, politics, visual arts and sustainability”,
Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli emphasises. Being in line with his
practice, ‘It’s about time’, the 10th edition on show in the
Netherlands until 13 November, is thus a platform for discussion,
an opportunity for the project community to engage in building
an ecologically and socially aware future. Starting with a
fundamental book in the history of sustainable culture.
“‘The Limits of growth’, commissioned to MIT by the Club
di Roma”, recalls Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli, “already in
1972, the year of its publication, warned that exponential
economic growth would lead to ecological disasters within a
century” unless society could make the necessary adjustments.
“Unfortunately, that scenario has come to pass”, notes the
architect with a PoliMi degree and a fifteen-year collaboration
with the Rem Koolhaas studio, “now each of us is asked to take
responsibility and question: what action we can take to radically
change the opinions about growth and development?”.
The position of his working group is clear: “we are critical of all
paradigms that claim degrowth as the only possible alternative
to the environmental emergency”.
He explains this in the latest video-installation, ‘Synthetic
Cultures’, set in 2072: in the ‘science fiction’ that intertwines
scientific data, consumption and actual lifestyles, three avatars
reveal what might happen if the consumption of meat from
farmed animals were replaced by artificial tissue harvested
from stem cells. “Central to the project’s development is a kind
of biotechnology already widely tested in the 1970s”, says the
architect. “Its use would free up natural resources and
infrastructure spread across the country and traditionally devoted
to the entire food chain”, a conversion that would result in
extraordinary environmental benefits. If only we were able to

govern its fallout. Reducing CO2 aside, the hypothesised,
radical and possible scenarios seriously speak to the enthusiasm
of vegans willing to embrace new lifestyles, to the greed
of those seeking to monopolise the new business, and to the
scepticism of the ‘no-meat’: “that portion of the population that,
resistant to change, considers meat a sacrosanct cultural and
religious symbol”. The cyber narrative, much beloved by Pestellini
because it allows to clarify what hasn’t manifested yet, declares
technology’s neutrality: the moment when it’s implanted into
history, the political and ideological states define it.
“I like to recall Salvador Allende’s incredible project
at the start of the 1970s, in Chile”, the researcher remembers,
“‘Project Cybersyn’ was the prototype for a futuristic ‘control
room’, a kind of centralised brain at the service of the
community, designed to control and regulate in real time
the country’s entire industrial production”. For 50 years man
has had the tools to implement solutions in service of the planet,
and for 50 years we’ve been waiting for the ‘system’ to make
them scalable and therefore usable. “Despite the fact that access
to digital platforms, social networks and online gaming is ‘open
source’, sharing does have inherent inequalities, forms of
domination and undeniable abuses”, a paradox. “The promise
behind the launch of the web, of the virtual realities in which we
are immersed, and the metaverse — a concept that can be traced
back to the pages of the cyberpunk novel ‘Snow crash’, written
by Neal Stephenson in 1992 — was very democratic: the internet
presented itself to the world as a liberating place. In every way”.
Then something changed and free access turned into a means for
labour exploitation. Think of delivery drivers, labourers working
for large global companies, who despite having contributed to
keeping our social factory alive in the lockdown, are still fighting
for the full recognition of union rights.
‘Riders not heroes’, the video released by 2050+ last
year about the working conditions of delivery riders in Milan,
addresses this: “we described the short-circuit the digital world
creates when interacting with the systems of accelerated
capitalism”. A work that also criticises our inability to govern this
widespread and pervasive technology. Let’s continue with
‘Media Archaeology’, the book by Erkki Huhtamo and Jussi
Parikka, to remind ourselves that before understanding how a
medium works, it’s necessary to understand how it’s made.
“Because, beyond the dystopian scenarios of an IT industry that
to deliver a new mobile phone every year is forced to extract
lithium from the depths of the sea, and which in carbon footprint
terms equals the global civil aviation industry, it’s no longer
sustainable”, the architect concludes after a video interview
lasting over an hour. A necessary exchange of data. —
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THINKING

Energy conservation
To curb the impacts of the climate crisis is to reduce
energy consumption: designing a future in balance
with nature is the current challenge. Let’s give it a go

Photo Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres

by Paola Carimati

Starring on the Finnish archipelago
is the Majamaja eco-cabin
by Studio Littow: a model housing
unit for which Helsinki promotes
the installation. A cultural project
to support the revitalisation of
tourism on the islands.

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THINKING

Photos Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres

Off-grid technology — To live surrounded by
the tranquillity of extreme landscapes, to contemplate rare
and unknown ecosystems is now possible: especially
in the North, where a new concept of intimacy and
minimalist well-being is spreading. Majamaja, the small
eco-cabin designed by Pekka Littow, is a pioneering
example of a refuge that lands at the water’s edge of
Helsinki’s archipelago to accommodate couples and
families who love free style. The images pictured, starting
from the top, reveal the potential of this minimalist housing
unit: with about 23sqm it incorporates all the necessary and
useful amenities. On the ground floor: kitchen with a
retractable table, living room with outdoor area for bird
watching and sleeping quarters on the mezzanine, all in
Finnish wood. At the heart of the concept are structural
resources with zero miles; solar and wind power with solar
panels on the roof (and micro-turbines for back-up) to heat
and light the space; rainwater collection and purification
systems ensure hygiene and heath standards. Circular and
self-sufficient: a dream for the most radical ecologist.
“The model installed at Vuorilahdenniemi”, says the
designer referring to the habitable outcrop jutting out from
the sea that can also be reached by land, “is the first of six
cottages to be installed, including a building for the sauna;
the idea is to create a pilot project for a village”.

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THINKING

Indoor ecosystems — Mushrooms, linen and clearings as sources of inspiration: Mari Koppanen
and Tong Ren’s designs are ‘made in green’, which from prototypes work towards industrial production.
Among the projects selected by curator Elina Aalto, for the Talentshop and Protoshop exhibits at Helsinki’s
Habitare fair, are two accessories suitable for interiors. Fomes, top left, is a padded stool covered in a
material that to the touch feels like suede: the effect, particularly velvety, is achieved by processing
Fomes Fomentarius mycelium, from the Transylvanian forests, hence the series’ name. Piha, the pure linen
fabric with animalier pattern, designed by the Chinese creative from Henan, brings together the experience
gained in Lapuan Kankurit, the historic Finnish brand with a sustainable calling since 1930, the year
in which it was founded. A tribute to seagulls, among the most beloved species in Finland.

En plein air conviviality —
An image taken from ‘Refuge for
Resurgence’ by Superflux, the Londonbased interdisciplinary studio that
investigates the overlap between
architecture, anthropology and ecology.
The work, presented in 2021 at the Venice
Biennale Architettura curated by
Hashim Sarkis, is an imaginary banquet set
up with what would remain on Earth after
surviving a climate catastrophe. Tomorrow,
the world will be inhabited by multi-species
communities that the researchers imagine
gathered around a majestic oak table.
Will humans, animals, birds, plants, mosses
and fungi gather next to one another to
celebrate life? Togetherness is the only
way to foster hope and overcome fear:
the future lies in coexistence.
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Total green — In Fiskars,
the village home to the Finnish tool
company by the same name, the
second edition of the Biennale of Art
and Design just ended. The scheduled
events, curated by Kari Korkman, also
included ‘House by an architect’: a
call to action for professionals invited
to design models of wooden house no
larger than 30sqm. A humble and
wonderfully modest example is that by
the Swedes, Sommarnöjen: a jewel of
simplicity designed to be durable and
to blend in with nature. When in 2024,
Finnish legislation will speed up the
development of housing units in this
size, the market will cause production
and tourism to soar. And summer
cottages will become a solution to be
replicated at all latitudes.

Carbon-free fashion — What if textile padding were a viable, natural alternative to using
(animal and barbaric) methods relying on goose feathers, and promoted instead sustainable agricultural
practices like restoring the peatland ecosystems? In Finland it’s possible: Lukas Schuck and Tea Auramo,
who study at Helsinki’s Aalto University, have considered this. The completely scalable project, Fluff Stuff,
transforms the inflorescences of the ‘Typha latifolia’, a typical plant of the Northern wetlands, into soft
cotton: collected by a portable machine that extract it from the spike, it is then processed the with minimal
environmental impact. On balance, according to the experts, Finland’s peatland drainage is responsible
for almost 60% of agricultural emissions. From down jackets to be worn, to pillows and duvets to keep
warm in bed: the fibres of the Typha, naturally covered in a layer of wax, are highly water-repellent,
making the material extremely versatile. Peat (and moisture) proof.

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THINKING

Renewables/At high altitude — An idea by
an all-female team gave rise to Shine, a portable wind
turbine manufactured by Aurea Technologies: an
ultra-compact and lightweight device designed for
trekking enthusiasts who need to recharge devices,
lights and cameras on the summit. It’s a matter of
safety. Folded, the kit takes up the space of a 1 litre
water bottle, weighs about 1 kg and features a
lithium-ion battery: 40 watts for emergencies, storing
power in unfavourable weather conditions. “Despite
being the second cleanest energy sector worldwide”,
says Cat Adalay founder of the Canadian brand,
“wind isn’t accessible to most people. We created an
opportunity”. The size of a backpack.

Renewables/Offshore — The Oslo-based Norwegian company, Wind Catching Systems (owned
by Ferd and North Energy), is working on a truly impressive wind farm project: Windcatcher is a floating
platform that supports a lattice frame structure, a sail comprising 126 wind turbines of 1 megawatt. Each of
the pictured units is anchored to the seabed via a single point mooring system, meaning a type of
manoeuvre that, while keeping the masts in place, allows them to rotate and catch the wind. From seafaring
artistry to engineering, the structures are 284 metres high and 344 metres wide, like the Eiffel Tower. This
means that the Windcatcher, which carries the largest wind turbines available on the market today, was
developed to make offshore wind power accessible and sustainable. A concept that, in times of energy
crisis, could be a game changer for wind farms in facilitating access to this energy source.
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Changes in scale — Marjan van Aubel
transforms solar energy into household objects: Ra, for
example, is a kind of transparent film that captures the
sunrays and renders them on the wall like an artwork
(above), while Current Table is a table with a
photovoltaic panel-top capable of recharging small
appliances. Graduating from the Gerrit Rietveld
Academie DesignLAB in 2009, and three years later
from the Royal College of Art, she designs to shape a
positive future in which sustainability, design and
technology cooperate for the common good. Surviving
the energy crisis is possible as she exemplifies in her
first ‘Solar Biennale’, an event devoted to alternative
energies and staged in Rotterdam (until 30 October).
Her research focusses on the seamless integration of
solar power in architecture and interiors, with the aim
of making it accessible. Collaborations with
international brands such as Cos, Timberland and
Swarovski are also instrumental to the goal by
accelerating the global energy transition towards the
more widespread use of solar power.

Solar diving — A dynamic
meeting place where visitors can
experience the sensory nature of
renewable energy: the Solar Pavilion is
a group project arising from the
collaboration between studio V8
together with Kameleon Solar and
Marjan van Aubel, who defined the
design for the set of coloured
photovoltaic panels. It is a ‘smart
fabric’ that collects the sun’s power to
illuminate the portion of the square on
which it is gently laid. The technology,
completely integrated in the colours,
captures the power of the sun’s rays to
illuminate the darkness and provide a
unique and immersive experience for
visitors. In Eindhoven, from 22 October
on the occasion of Dutch Design
Week, of which the solar designer is an
ambassador.

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THINKING

From architecture to interior design:
the renewable energy project enters
the home sphere, transforming technology
into a creative tool

What do we know about energy? Where will the new
energy landscapes land and with what impact? But also: can
energy be tamed? Together with the students of the
Technogeography course at the Design Academy in Eindhoven,
Martina Muzi wondered about the meaning of this force. “Energy
is a system of economic, political and social relationships”,
explains the teacher, “and as such it’s responsible for the quality
of our lives and the future of the planet”. This consideration
touches on the controversy about the use of fossil fuels, then goes
further: “The activities of extraction, production, transportation,
consumption and control of this type of resource, have very
different effects in the world’s North and South. Especially in
environmental terms”. While polluting on a large scale, the
outcome varies from place to place: in developed countries, it’s
positively linked to concepts such as abundance, accessibility
and security; in the poorest developing countries, to catastrophic
climate fallout. Ugandan activist, Vanessa Nakate, spokesperson
for Fridays for Future reminds us of this in her latest book, ‘A
Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the
Climate Crisis’, published in Italy by Feltrinelli, once again
reports that while we’re all weathering the same storm, we’re not
all in the same boat. “Energy, therefore, plays a central role in
environmental challenges, because it forces us to address the
issue of global pollution in terms of social justice”, Muzi points
out. The project tries to contribute, to refocus the practice at
different latitudes: from floating wind platforms to portable
blades, from photovoltaic parks to solar textiles. Generating
clean energy is as important a creative challenge as considering
how to reduce the dynamics of consumption. In Finland, for
example, the government launched the ‘Energy Renaissance’
programme, a guide to accurately plan zero-impact energy
undertakings; it also foresees the simplification of regulations on
prefabricated wood, to facilitate the building and installation of
housing units under 30sqm. Majamaja, the cottage at the start of
the article, is an example of new sustainability that’s accessible
and replicable anywhere: intimate because it’s functional,
sustainable because it’s self-sufficient; it demonstrates that design
and architecture, when they integrate the right technology, are
indispensable drivers in triggering the right ecological transition.
The intensity of climate change, the precarious status of gas
supplies and the resulting socio-economic and environmental
inequalities, are so closely linked that a paradigm shift has
become crucial. It’s necessary to veer from a model of ‘citymachine’ built on a linear growth system, to a circular
evolutionary model of ‘city-organism’. This is also being discussed
in Lisbon during the Trienal de Arquitectura (on show until 5
December): ‘Terra’, the name of the exhibition curated by
Cristina Veríssimo and Diogo Burnay, is a call to action. We learn
to consume less and produce better, to regain the equilibrium lost
between communities, resources and processes. “If only we had
become aware of the scenarios described fifty years ago in ‘The
Limits of Growth’”, says Joseph Grima at the Habitare fair in
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Helsinki, “perhaps today we’d have a better chance to slow
down the impacts triggered by climate change”. The ‘Rapporto
sui limiti dello sviluppo’ (Report on the limits of development)
commissioned to MIT by the Club of Rome, and published in
1972 by Meadows, Randers & Behrens, already fifty years ago,
demanded we consider the concept of prosperity (as discussed
earlier by architect Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli in the interview on
page 86). “Acting on energy consumption means acting on the
materials, because it’s the materials that carry the energetic
footprint of what is produced”, says the creative director of the
Eindhoven school. Designing today is a truly complex endeavour
that requires rethinking the relationship with matter. ‘Non
extractive architecture’, the exhibition devoted to redefining the
balance between the built environment and nature, is based on
this principle: to not only reconsider the role of technology and
politics in the material economies of the future; but also the vision
of the architect seen as an agent of change. “In the meantime, we
begin mapping new forms of matter”, from PoliMi to Aalto
University in Helsinki, European research labs are online and
exchanging knowledge via open-source methods. “From
mushroom-based fabrics to woodworking offcuts to replace stone
powder, from paper to certain types of completely natural
linoleum: we are the keepers of what nature enables us to share,
let’s not waste it. Let’s consider the sun”, Grima concludes, “the
energy it releases can be integrated into the surface of objects
and shifted across domestic interiors to fuel them sustainably”, a
project on which Marjan van Aubel and Pauline van Dongen are
working. A truly stellar revolution. —

Light fabrics — Glamorous and chic, the jacket
in sun-powered Textiles, a fabric with integrated solar
cells designed by Anne Kinnunen at Aalto University in
Helsinki. A high-tech experimental project that, thanks to
the know-how of three Finnish brands (Foxa, Lindström
and Haltian) demonstrates that photovoltaics is a flexible
technology that can also be worn.

Äng, the Michelin-rated restaurant
inside a scenic greenhouse/
architecture, spreads over two
additional underground levels.
Opened in summer 2022, it was
designed by Norm Architects amidst
the Ästad Vingård hills in Sweden,
an hour from Gothenburg.

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FOOD EXPERIENCE

Stellar glasshouse
Set like a glass prism among Sweden’s largest vineyards
is the Äng restaurant designed by Norm Architects: a place conceived
to provide a unique gastronomic experience
words by Laura Maggi — photos by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

FOOD EXPERIENCE

The lounge area is designed to
interact with nature, thanks to the
glass walls and roof. Decorating it
are armchairs and sofas by Keiji
Ashizawa for Karimoku Case
Study, with adjusted proportions.
Solid oak wood coffee tables.

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FOOD EXPERIENCE

The kitchen is entrusted to
executive chef Filip Gemzell who,
together with his team, works
closely with local producers,
hunters and fishermen to source
products from to the Scandinavian
territory. The degustation of the
tasting menu takes about four
hours. On the right, the
underground wine cellar plays
with dark hues and has cosy
chairs for wine tastings.
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The all-round experience of haute cuisine, art, nature and
architecture begins by following the path leading through the
cultivated fields to the Michelin-starred Äng restaurant in southern
Sweden, surprisingly housed inside a glass greenhouse. The
simple iron frame designed by Norm Architects is sealed with
clear walls reflecting the landscape as it rises like the tip of a
sparkling iceberg above the greenery in one of the region’s
largest vineyards. And, like an iceberg, it hides submerged
volumes. While the welcoming ground floor houses the bar,
lounge and kitchen, the underground level reveals a well-stocked
wine cellar devoid of windows; a second lounge and a large
dining room flooded with natural light; the additional
underground level, carved into the slope of the hill, opens up to
wide views over the pond, lakes and beech forests of the Åkulla
nature reserve in Halland. The client’s idea was “to provide
guests with a long break to leave everything else behind and
enjoy the Äng universe. A beautiful place for spending time and
for discovery”. The tasting menu curated by executive chef Filip
Gemzell consists of nineteen courses and the entire culinary
journey lasts four and a half hours, from an aperitif in the lounge,
to a descent by lift into the hidden cellar area cloaked in semidarkness, to dessert overlooking the countryside as the sun sets, in
a continuum of atmospheric changes. “We played with the effects
of chiaroscuro, a visual art technique used to represent light and
shadow to define objects and achieve a sense of volume”, says
Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architect, “so, as you enter the
shadow, your vision weakens while the other senses intensify.
Automatically, one pays more attention to sound, smell, taste and
touch: intuition and instinct are also strengthened. Thus, the

FOOD EXPERIENCE

A glimpse of the dining room
with oak furnishings by Karimoku
Case Study and ceramics by
Dane, Viki Weiland. The walls
are soundproofed with Acoustic
panels by Kvadrat.

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FOOD EXPERIENCE

As the hours roll by, at sunset the
colours of the surrounding
landscape take on warm golden
tones, tingeing the internal mood
of the glass house. The same oak
of the Karimoku Case Study
furnishings acquires a particularly
intense shade. Here, beside the
large window, the evening turns
to night as desserts end the meal.

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surprising transition and the change of scenery prepare the
guests for the next part of the holistic dinner experience”.
And, as architect Peter Eland points out, “in many ways the goal
of the Michelin-starred restaurant is in line with our design
philosophy: to find a delicate balance between all the sensory
experiences that make up a space, to create a harmonious
environment, in which all the elements support each other”.
Frederik Werner of Norm Architects recalls that the interiors,
designed in collaboration with Karimoku Case Study and Keiji
Ashizawa Design “offer a holistic and sensory experience that
enhances the culinary offering and reflects the identity of the
restaurant. We found inspiration both in the pristine Nordic
environment that surrounds Äng, as in the Japanese sensibility for
the aesthetics of design and fine craftsmanship”. Founded in
2008 in Copenhagen, Norm Architects is identified by a strong
design philosophy, which it defines as ‘soft minimalism’. It stems
from the idea that “spaces and furnishings should serve those
who use them rather than being a means of artistic expression.
Our design principles are in fact people centric. Soft minimalism
consists of perfecting spaces and designs in their purest forms,
while maintaining a feeling of comfort and naturalness in creating
spaces that possess significant tactile qualities. The philosophy
is characterised by great attention to materials, scale, sound and
above all people. We are not just architects and designers: we
are listeners and storytellers. Our task is to understand the needs
related to people’s daily lives”. —

DESIGN&CRAFTS

Handmade
In the Pavia countryside, not far from Milan, Studio Terre’s
small artisan workshop: an open and protected space for creative
activities in tune with nature’s slow pace
by Chiara Dal Canto — photos by Helenio Barbetta / Living Inside — words by Murielle Bortolotto

A portrait of Nino and Jufà,
founders of Studio Terre.
An artisan workshop that
produces everyday items with
imprecise and timeless
shapes. Terracotta, chosen
as the raw material, is turned
into vases, tables and chairs.
Wool and glass become
rugs or containers.

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DESIGN&CRAFTS

Vintage furniture, travel souvenirs and handmade designer
pieces: a welcoming and warming mix of styles

A corner of the country studio: among the objects dear to
Nino and Jufà, an antique Apulian jar and a lathe (among the
very first pieces chosen to define the space) stand out.
Next to the Tolomeo lamp by Artemide and the Sgarsul rocking
chair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, The Hug rug by
Pierfrancesco Cravel, Marcello Bonvini and Alberto Sandroni
for Volumnia. Pieces by Studio Terre punctuate the space.
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DESIGN&CRAFTS

The countryside as a source of inspiration.
Pure air and clay becoming material to be moulded

Above, from left, resting on a plane surface, the tools
of the trade; right, a view of the Pavia countryside. Below,
from left, a detail of the parish church in Trivolzio,
a town in the province of Pavia that is home to Studio Terre.
Right, vases and containers with small engravings, Comari no.
01-02-03, from the Experimental Interaction series.
Raw earth, worked with natural oils and waxes, is the hero.
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DESIGN&CRAFTS

True, sustainable and shared are the keywords
of Nino and Jufà’s slow design
When you click on their website, the words
“experimental art studio” followed by “slow design: true,
sustainable and shared” appear on the homepage. For the duo
featuring Eva Noemi Marchetti and Francesca Guarnone,
better known as Nino and Jufà, they are the fundamental notions
of their project idea. Green inspiration, like the countryside
where they work together with Riccardo Brunetti and create
unique, non-replicable accessories and furnishings.
Each of them has a soul and a story to tell. Using sustainable
materials, such as clay and glass, they revive the local traditions
without ever overlooking the harmonious connection
with nature. A slow, manual approach, following the rhythm of
sunlight and the changing seasons. For the young designers,
getting their hands dirty and shaping new forms is an essential
part of their creative process. Each piece is a metaphorical
bridge that links the past, rich in artisan traditions, to a
future to be invented. Studies completed at the NABA, Nuova
Accademia di Belle Arti Milano (Academy of Fine Arts Milan)
both graduating in Fashion and Set Design, but above all a
friendship that has continued since high school. After several
experiences working for luxury brands and important Italian set
designers, after the pandemic they decided to go back to their
roots, in the countryside, where their hearts still reside.
Originally from Casteggio, a small village in the Oltrepò Pavese
area, they chose Trivolzio, near Bereguardo, a small town
not far from the metropolis (the first exit on the A7 motorway,
towards Genoa, when leaving the Lombard capital).
Cosy and off the beaten track, the chosen scale is perfect for
starting out and launching into a new professional adventure.
The landscape they are building with their hands is inhabited by
vases that recall the ancient low or super-thin wineskins and
candle holders that challenge the force of gravity, but also chairs
and earthen benches featuring organic shapes, as well as
containers, glasses, Sardinian naturally dyed wool rugs and
glittering glass bead screens. The names are a history lesson:
the containers, for example, are called Conserve (Preserves),
which become Maxi because of the size, and ‘Experimental
Interaction’, indicating the clay mix. Reading them is a
bit like discovering the underlying creative process that always
leads back to the need for a slow-paced lifestyle and the
importance of sharing. In September, we met them at the Lake
Como Design Festival (contemporary design fair):
they brought Caramellaio and Mostrini, the sweets holder with
decorative element made of Murano glass and powdered
terracotta, pieces previewed at the recent Designweek
in Milan. What’s next? “At the end of October, we’ll be in Paris,
at the Galerie Scene Ouverte. Then we’ll be focussing
on fabrics and the art of embroidery”, they reveal, mulling over
autumnal colours. Warm, tactile and in harmony with nature. —
On top, in the studio, still life with Lume Candelabro made
of light-coloured, glazed and stuccoed Lombardy terracotta; Conserva
Madre vase, both from the Maxi series; Rosa, from the Interazione
Sperimentale collection, is a raw earth, oils and natural waxes
sculptural seat. Above, Convivio small table made of coarse-grained
Lombard red terracotta; Conserva n.09, part of the Conserve line,
is a terracotta, Salento fireproof clay and glazed candleholder.
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DESIGN SHARING

Radical interiors
In Kastellorizo, in the Aegean Sea, the bold project
for an artist’s residence: a choral space tailored to talent
by Paola Carimati — photos by De Pasquale Maffini

Among the four rooms
revamped by as many
creatives, the project
of Swiss-French designer
Julie Richoz stands out: it is
subtle, but clearly recognisable.
The chromatic texture,
a colourful rainbow covering
the ceiling, continuously
defines the living area and
bedroom. And integrates
space, objects and fabrics.
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DESIGN SHARING

Four young design studios transform a traditional home
of sponge traders into an artist’s residence
From 5Rooms to 4Rooms: Silvia Fiorucci Roman and Annalisa
Rosso replicate the collective project format, already successfully
tested in Grasse, north of Cannes, to inaugurate in Kastellorizo,
in the Aegean Sea, a new artists residence tailored to the
community. At the end of September, in fact, the collector,
who invented the “Società delle Api” (The Bee Society, an
independent no-profit organisation that fosters curators and
creatives, researchers, institutions and philanthropists looking for
an opportunity for exchange) together with the Italian curator,
opened the “Porta Rossa” (The Red Door). It is a historic building
in the ancient centre of the village of Kastellorizo, for generations
owned by a family of sponge traders and subsequently by
the Fiorucci family: “My father loved to stay there in the past,
not far from where he anchored his yacht”, Silvia fondly recalls.
The excitement of the yachtsman who enters port welcomed by
the applause of the locals and the chirping of crickets is
unforgettable for anyone arriving by boat or ferry. As the last
stronghold of Western culture, Kastellorizo is the most distant
island from the Greek coast and the closest to the Turkish one, just
3 km from Ka. “As already experienced in Grasse, I wanted to
give continuity to the project, created in collaboration with Villa
Noailles”, says the patron. “To produce honey (as bees do) it is
necessary to build a community of people who through their
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The hallmark of each designer
selected by Annalisa Rosso –
Silvia Fiorucci Roman, Michael
Anastassiades, Alexis
Georgacopoulos and Cristiano
Raimondi – is apparent in the
following pictures: on the left, the
total blue of Icelanders Brynjar &
Veronika, who focus on chromatic
intensity; on the right, the formal
and conceptual abstraction
of Phanos Kyriacou.

DESIGN SHARING

4Rooms is an open and inclusive design project: a new way of rethinking
space, function and design in the name of hospitality

Underscoring the elegance
of Julie Richoz’s intervention is the
detail of the bed-tatami, framed
by the colours that punctuate the
ceiling. The Swiss French designer,
like the entire pool, has also worked
in close connection with the local
community: the concept of
the 4Rooms project replicates the
one tested in Grasse, 5Rooms,
becoming a bridge between
talent and community.
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talent generate beauty. For themselves and for others”. So, like a
hive, this place is open to those looking for the opportunity to
take time to nurture thinking and share experiences: “I don’t want
anything in return, I’m living the dream of promoting ideas
through the places I love and that speak to me”. What has
remained of the original structure is the intensity of the door and
window frames: Annalisa Rosso, together with designer Michael
Anastassiades, director of ECAL Alexis Georgacopoulos and
curator and set designer Cristiano Raimondi, has selected several
young international designers who have been tasked with
redesigning the interiors. Each designer had the brief of
interpreting the rooms in line with their own personal design
code: in the case of Cypriot artist Phanos Kyriacou, abstract;
measured for Swiss-French designer Julie Richoz, chromatic for
Icelanders Brynjar & Veronika and surreal for the Germans from
the UND.studio. Superpoly developed the project for the
communal space (playful and aggregating). “We asked each of
them to experiment with objects and materials, providing a
re-reading of the existing ones. To absorb their different creative
languages into the unique reality of the island, we also asked
them to involve local trades and businesses”, Rosso concludes.
“The outcome is radical work showing great courage”. —

GREEN

A glimpse of Forgotten Landscape,
an installation by German
landscape architect Cassian Schmidt
who, last September, recreated the
forest of Lombardy’s rivers in
Piazza Vecchia, Bergamo, during
the I Maestri del Paesaggio 2022
festival. Plants by Vivai Valfredda,
trees by Coplant. Partners:
Panariagroup, Pedrali, Mapei,
Simes. imaestridelpaesaggio.it

Master of landscape
Photo Gaetano Zoccali

“Designing an ‘urban jungle’ doesn’t just mean
decorating the city, but counteracting the effects of climate
change”. The renowned landscape designer
of international fame, Cassian Schmidt, explains to us
by Gaetano Zoccali

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GREEN

Hermannshof research garden in Weinheim

Hermannshof in Weinheim (Frankfurt) —
Above, the research garden directed by Cassian Schmidt.
Here the vegetation is organised in habitats modelled on
North American prairies. Its biodiversity makes it resistant
to climatic stress. Munich — Left, the park of the school
campus not far from the city created by Schmidt in
cooperation with Kübert Landscape Architecture.
The plant choice favours masses of herbaceous
perennials, with yellow Rudbeckia, orange Helianthus
and copper-coloured grasses such as Panicum and
Miscanthus. Augsburg — In the German city’s Sheridan
Park, the dense birch forest, below, bordered by a
winding footpath, was inspired by a study on the forests
of Aspen, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Munich school campus

Sheridan Park in Augsburg

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GREEN

German landscape architect Cassian
Schmidt, director of the Schau und
Sichtungsgarten Hermannshof
garden near Frankfurt, where he
studies plants with which to design
urban greenery that conveys an idea
of controlled wildness. He is the
author of the Piazza Verde 2022
in Bergamo together with Landscape
Design students from the University
of Weihenstephan-Triesdorf.
sichtungsgarten-hermannshof.de

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A wood of willows with soft grasses, fragrant wild figs and
industrious bees took up residence, last September, at Piazza
Vecchia in Bergamo, with a surprising effect. “This is not just
beautifying the city but finding a sustainable solution to mitigate
the effects of climate change”, explains the designer of the green
project, world-renowned German landscape architect Cassian
Schmidt. In a protected historical context — “You can’t even touch
a stone because it would be a crime”, said Le Corbusier —
Schmidt has recreated what he himself defines as “the last
European jungle”, showing an example of the few strips of
woodland surviving along riverbanks in Lombardy. We met him in
his garden, a manifesto created for the 12th edition of I Maestri
del Paesaggio (The Masters of Landscape) the most important
Italian festival dedicated to landscape design, promoted by the
association Arketipos and the Municipality of Bergamo and
entitled “Forgotten Landscapes”. “Forgotten landscapes also
include those habitats to be protected, whose beauty we ignore,
such as the floodplain woodlands [the interface between land
and a watercourse] of the River Po to which I wanted to give
visibility”. The leader of the movement called New German Style
designed this project together with Aurelia Ibach, Verena Hurler,
Fabiola Leonett von Wachter and Simon Schwar, students at the
German University of Applied Sciences in WeihenstephanTriesdorf, who won the competition for the concept of the project.
Over seven thousand plants were selected, 80% of which belong
to native species. For the audience of public administrators who
attended Schmidt’s lectio magistralis, it was a real lesson for the
future. For thirty years, in fact, the landscape architect — director
of the Hermannshof research garden in Weinheim, near Frankfurt —
has been studying new combinations of sustainable plants for
urban environments inspired by natural habitats. “Biodiversity
must find space in the city, because in addition to creating
beauty, it performs strategic functions ranging from reducing
temperatures and pollution to encouraging sociality, generating
civic sense”, in line with the objectives of the 2030 agenda of the
United Nations. “I study wild environments and then develop
plant communities that I like to call “horticultural ecosystems”.
Spontaneous species and resilient ornamental varieties live
together in these modules that successfully thrive without
irrigation or fertilisation. Biodiversity is our best ally for
enhancing the quality of a place and reducing maintenance
normally required by green areas. Therefore, it is no longer
necessary to think in terms of individual plants, but of plant
communities in a project. Accepting the idea that flora is not
always in bloom, but that it evolves from year to year, generating
continuous surprises”, Schmidt explains. “The difference between
my approach and that of the English school is precisely this: I talk
about dynamic environments, where plants are spontaneously
redistributed over time within an area, and I ask gardeners to
support natural processes”. The outcome is surprising because
this reduces the costs for municipalities. “In Europe, creating and
maintaining a square metre of greenery, using traditional
methods, costs on average 47.8 euros per year and requires 20
minutes of maintenance. With my dynamic communities, costs are
reduced to 7.2 euros per year and 5 minutes work”. Ecological
and economic sustainability have squared the circle. —

DESIGN STORE

Flowers in season
Projects by a generation of architects
experienced in floristry: suspended worlds that
transform fragility into timeless beauty

Photo Takumi Ota

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.

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DESIGN STORE

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
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Photos Takumi Ota; Imagen Subliminal

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

DESIGN STORE

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

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Photos Castor; De Pasquale Maffini

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

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
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Photo Adrià Goula

DESIGN STORE

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
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Photos Yichen Ding; Dirk Weiblen; Yongjoon Choi

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

VIEW
[October 2022]

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.
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NEW
WAVE

Design by the masters,
new materials and optical motifs.
From cultured references
to pop influences, architect
Luciano Giorgi reinvents
a Milanese residence
by Francesca Benedetto — photos by Andrea Ferrari

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. —

“Developed through a
dialogue with the homeowners,
the project’s interiors reference
the materials and character
of the BBPR building”
Luciano Giorgi

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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.

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IN PARIS,
IN MY
GALLERY
HOME
by Ana Cardinale — photos by Adrien Dirand

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François Laffanour’s new
Parisian flat: at the entrance,
‘Signal lumineux’ by Serge
Mouille, an African wood
sculpture and, on the wall,
‘Néon défilant’ by Jenny
Holzer. In the background,
a work by Patrick Raynaud.
Desk by Perriand and
Jeanneret. Opposite page,
the gallerist next to ‘3 bras’,
a sculpture by Vassilakis Takis.
On the floor, stool-table by
Le Corbusier. On the left, a
glimpse of a work by Richard
Serra. Laffanour, author of
‘Downtown Style’ (edited by
Skipa), presents Steph Simon’s
solo exhibition from 15/10.
galeriedowntown.com

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In the large living room
bathed in light, the two
modernist Visiteur armchairs
by Jean Prouvé, left, flirt with
the seat by Josef Hoffmann,
in the foreground. In the centre,
the Torino stool by Prouvé.
To the left of the fireplace,
the ‘Signaux’ sculptures by
Vassilakis Takis.

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From Jean Prouvé to Charlotte Perriand; from Thomas
Struth to Jeff Koons. Museum pieces in the Laffanour house
The apartment that François Laffanour, founder of the
Parisian Galerie Downtown, has arranged for himself and his
family is a Haussmann building at the heart of Saint Germain
des Près. The interiors are brimming with artworks and
collectible design, however, despite the museum pieces, the
atmosphere is warm and welcoming. “My existence has
always been marked by moving and new houses. Each
mirrored that phase in my life. Nowadays, I’m lucky to spend
most of my time in Normandy, on a large property that will
soon turn into an avantgarde place for art. To return from the
country and find myself in Paris again, in a house with a
garden, like the one I lived in, didn’t make sense anymore.
Therefore, I chose a more traditional space”. From room to
room, a series of volumes open to one another, with parquet
flooring, mouldings and marble fireplaces, in a kind of gallery
with a spectacular perspective effect, lit up by high windows
and white, uniform walls, as not to disturb the spirit of the
place. The homeowner’s curiosity and taste are expressed in
a blend of art and design that surround a collection of
furniture by the great masters such as Perriand, Jeanneret,
Prouvé and Royère, of whom Laffanour is currently a leading
specialist, having begun to deal with them almost 50 years
ago. Rising at dawn to cut his teeth at the Paul Bert-Sarpette
market in Saint-Ouen, while gaining experience until he

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turned the page and opened the Downtown gallery — at the
end of the 1970s – then located in rue de Provence, a few
steps from the Drouot auction house; in the 1980s the
headquarters moved to rue de Seine, on the left bank, next to
the great Parisian antique dealers. “There, I began to display
the yet obscure furniture of 20th century architects. I was also
the first to hire a scenographer, Jean de Piépape, to set up my
stands at fairs”. An age-old and authentic passion that
Laffanour has always enjoyed gracefully, as he still denies
being a true collector despite living surrounded by
masterpieces. Furniture, objects and works of art prove it.
Amongst them, the large table designed by Charlotte Perriand
and Jean Prouvé is a standout at the centre of the living room;
it came from the Maison de l’Etudiant library in Paris. “In my
previous home, it was in the cellar; it didn’t fit in any of the
rooms, and this was one of the reasons that led me to move”,
the gallerist smiles. Just next door, in the living room, a
comfortable velvet sofa designed by Jean Royère flirts with
Prouvé’s modernist armchairs. Same atmosphere in the
bedroom, where a Noguchi lamp and a Pierre Jeanneret
armchair make a delicate break from the classic charm of the
architecture. This is how it is today; tomorrow is anyone’s
guess. “The furniture and objects change continually, and the
house must always embody a different look”. —

In the dining room, a glimpse of
the table by Charlotte Perriand
and Jean Prouvé. On the wall,
a work by Thomas Ruff. Next
page, in the bedroom, a detail
of Perriand’s console table with
a lamp by Noguchi. Stools by
Prouvé and Le Corbusier. In the
kitchen, on the wall, ‘Green
railroad bridge Tokyo’ by
Thomas Struth. Above the
door, sculpture by Masakatsu
Iwamoto, aka Mr.

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Another view of the dining
room in which Charlotte
Perriand and Jean Prouvé’s
large table dominates the
space. Equipped with an
integrated lamp, it was
designed for a library.
Around it eight Direction chairs
by Prouvé. At the foot of the
fireplace, the ‘Chien’ sculpture
is by Jeff Koons. Here,
as in the other rooms, the floor
is an old oak parquet laid
in a herringbone pattern.

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On the kitchen door, on the
wall, sculpture by Masakatsu
Iwamoto, aka Mr. Opposite
page, in the living room ‘Double
Rift’ by Richard Serra, at the
sides two sconces by Charlotte
Perriand. Ours Polaire velvet
sofa by Jean Royère. On the
coffee table by Pierre Jeanneret,
next to it, rests a lamp by
Richard Texier. Stools by
Le Corbusier and Perriand.

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At the entrance, ‘Robespierre’,
a work by Korean artist Nam
June Paik, father of video art.
Opposite page, in the bedroom,
to the left, behind the Lounge
armchair by Pierre Jeanneret,
lamp by Isamu Noguchi, as well
as the small table next to the
bed, on which rests a Richard
Texier’s lamp. On the right,
stool by Charlotte Perriand.

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DESIGN

STORIES
Relaxation corners and passepartout furniture
tell new ways of defining the domestic space. With fluid
signs, essential volumes and graphic details
by Murielle Bortolotto and Tamara Bianchini — photos by Federico Cedrone
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Stylish relaxation. The Standalto sofa by Francesco Binfaré
for Edra is modular and super comfortable is. With a smart
cushion, the back and armrests can be adjusted with a
simple, light pressure (edra.com). Irregularly shaped Roche rug
by Hanne Willmann for Calligaris (calligaris.com). Around it,
three lamps illuminate the space. In the foreground, Claritas by
Vico Magistretti in collaboration with Mario Tedeschi, and o
n the right the extra slim Fox by Bernhard Osann,
both produced by Nemo (nemolighting.com). Left, beyond
the sofa, the brand new, jointed Ixa lamp by Foster+Partners
for Artemide (artemide.com).

Japanese mood. Two pieces designed by Jean-Marie Massaud
for Poliform are the heroes of the shot. In the foreground, the
solid wood Nara console table, stained matte elm, and in
the background the Aiko sideboard, which appears floating on
light feet. Inside, shelves with integrated lighting and drawers
for storing objects (poliform.it). I Flessi ceramic vases created
by Francesca Verardo (francescaverardo.com) and Shades
lamps by George Sowden for Sowdenlight (sowdenlight.com).

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Disco Pop. Donald, crystal coffee table by Philippe Starck
for Glas Italia, available in three sizes and twelve colours
(glasitalia.com). The tablecloth comprised of small mirror
mosaics by artist Davide Medri (davidemedri.it) is sinuous, and
partially covers the iridescent Beetle pouf by Verner Turroni
for ImperfettoLab (imperfettolab.com). Right, Croma lamp by
Luca Nichetto for Lodes. In four finishes, measuring 186h cm
(lodes.com). Precious stitching defines the Twiggy armchair
by Rodolfo Dordoni, designed for Minotti (minotti.com).

Natural effect. Surrounded by the green of the Lapse rug
from the Tempore line, designed by Duccio Maria Gambi
for cc-tapis (cc-tapis.com), is the ash wood Karin armchair by
Setsu & Shinobu Ito for Désirée, with back made of woven
leather cord (desiree.com). The project by Panter & Tourron
for Cappelini is called Apartment Lamp, with adjustable
LED lighting and metal structure (cappellini.com). Adam
coffee tables by Marcel Wanders Studio for Natuzzi Italia.
Organic shape, natural ash wood, available in three
sizes and heights (natuzzi.com).

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Extra white. Large Roma table by Monica Armani for
Turri. Made of monochromatic lacquered wood, it has
rounded corners and cylindrical legs. Measures: 240
or 280 cm (turri.it). Above, Doodle vase by Maya
Leroy for Sem Milano (sem-milano.com), Oort lamp
designed by Jacopo Roda for FontanaArte. A flexible
and luminous tube generates infinite composition
possibilities; pictured, the table version (fontanaarte.
com). Hanging, the Veil chandelier with eleven arms by
BIG, Bjarke Ingles Group for Artemide (artemide.com).

Designer accessories. Maori is a small wall-mounted console
table designed by Essetipi for Porada. A slender pewter grey
metal structure supports the Canaletta walnut wood top (porada.it). Left, Rondo mirror by Oskar Zieta, on sale at Rossana
Orlandi, diameter 120 cm (rossanaorlandi.com), and Palloncino lamp by Franco Raggi for Firmamento Milano. Painted steel
stem and metallised borosilicate glass sphere. Height 185 cm
(firmamentomilano.com).

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Night & Day. Marty bed with wide headboard by E-ggs for
Bolzan Letti, with side shelves and fabric covering (bolzan.com).
Pure cotton satin sheets and pillowcases from the Lounge series
by Rivolta Carmignani (rivoltacarmignani.com); milk white
cashmere fringed small blanket, Pure, by Frette (frette.com).
Wicker armchair T.54 by Archivio Storico Bonacina produced
by De Padova, now in outdoor version available in Terracotta
red and Eucalyptus green (depadova.com). On the floor,
Roche rug by Calligaris.

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
words by Marzia Nicolini – photos by Felix Forest/Living Inside
in collaboration with Flavia Giorgi

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Between the arches defining the rooms,
under the plaster-decorated ceilings runs
the living room. Soriana leather sofa by
Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Cassina, and a white
a vintage sofa; the swivel armchair is by
Milo Baughman, the coffee table by
Charlotte Perriand, Cassina. Floor lamp by
Isamu Noguchi, Vitra, hanging chandelier
by Serge Mouille. Opposite page, 1950s
chair and artwork by Aida Tomescu.

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Devoted to reading, the relaxation room
offers the comfort of prototype armchairs
by Pierre Augustin Rose. Iconic, the Ptolomeo
bookcase by Bruno Rainaldi for Opinion
Ciatti. Next page, the dining room, where
the Africa table by Scarpa for Maxalto and
Cuoio chairs by EOOS for Walter Knoll take
centre stage. On the wall, still life by Felix
Forest and artwork by Sadhbha Cockburn.

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A favourite room of the owner, a passionate
cook, the kitchen is equipped with walnut
furniture; marble countertops and brass
details add a touch of classicism.
Next page, the snack corner consists of a
leather bench and a Tulip table by Saarinen,
Knoll. Also here, in its wall version, a lamp
by Serge Mouille. Photo by Felix Forest.

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From the top floor windows, the view glides over
a row of Victorian terrace houses and an uninterrupted
expanse of rooftops and chimneys. Inside, the height
of the three-point-thirty metre ceilings is celebrated with
stuccoes and ceiling roses that follow the curved archways
framing the openings between rooms. Everything is imbued
with a sense of calm and a feeling of déjà vu, which this
European traveller on a first trip to Sydney finds
unexpected. Memories of Parisian views and classic
interiors, elegant and bright, come to mind. The owner
confirms: “I’m French, so in this landscape, in these rooms, I
feel at home”. Nostalgia and an appetite for new
experiences compensate one another in the story that Felix
Forest, an international photographer of architecture and
interiors, shares and describes in the suburb of Harbourside,
in Elizabeth Bay: “It’s a lively area, filled with cafes and
trendy restaurants, tree-lined streets and magnificent parks
alongside the beach. Our home is inside a 1917 building,
one of the three oldest Art Deco structures in the area”.
Enchanted by the stile’s elegant lines, he and his wife
Edwina — creative director and cofounder of the AJE fashion
brand — purchased two adjacent lots to create a single
apartment. A complex renovation, which had to make sense
and give balance to the new layout, but also undo
the damage of past upgrades that had deprived the place
of its soul. A creative project that engaged and excited
the couple. “We wanted to preserve the unique
characteristics of the Deco aesthetic, the breadth of the
scale, the mouldings and the stuccoes, the bay windows,
the relationship with the natural light. While simultaneously
imbuing a contemporary sensibility”. The idea was
to create an airy space in which to feature paintings and
sculptures, antiques and design pieces collected during
years of travel and working overseas. The chromatic range
of neutral shades envelopes the surfaces and widens the
interiors, covering the soft shapes of the upholstery and
connecting timber, hide and leather. “We’re both
passionate about art and mid-century design, specifically
of Italian, French and Scandinavian origins. We wanted to
create a special canvas, a tonal and tactile backdrop
against which each individual piece could be featured
on its own, while also interacting with the others. Thus, we
have chosen paints with opaque finishings, which are ideal
for capturing light rather than reflecting it, and coarse
textures on the walls and archways of most rooms. It is the
perfect setting in which to celebrate mainly unframed
artworks and second-hand furniture whose life predates us,
and which we hope will live on after we have passed them
along”. In the morning sun the furnishings in the easternfacing rooms come to life. The south-facing day area
provides cool summer afternoons. Because here, while the
charming style keeps playing its part, the sun reminds us that
we are on the opposite side of the planet. —

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“The charm of the
period house, the breadth
of scale and the
relationship with natural
light won us over”
Felix Forest

Elegant and austere is the mood of the
studio, which combines a rosewood desk
and sideboard by Gunni Omann for Omann
Jun, illuminated by Claus Bonderup & Torsten
Thorup’s pendant. On the furniture, works
by Shannon Smith and Rachael Harrex. The
restored wooden floors are original
throughout the house. Opposite page,
the homeowner Felix Forest, photographer,
with his daughter Freïa Moon.

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Uniform surfaces for the bathroom,
where the tactile Tadelakt cladding, chosen
in a light shade, illuminates the whole room,
with custom-made furniture designed by
Felix Forest. Opposite page, the master
bedroom, connected to the study by an
archway. On the bed by Gervasoni, the
small blanket is by Society. The rug,
designed by the owners, was made by Fyber.

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New Zealand, South Island:
two juxtaposed volumes make
up a family home nestled in the
landscape. The concrete tower,
on the left, looks like a rock
rising out of the ground and
from the bedroom, upstairs,
it ensures a 360° view of the
surrounding landscape.

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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
words by Paola Maraone — photos by Simon Wilson

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The Queenstown area, where the house
stands, is dominated by a luxuriant
nature, at times wild, in which the part
of the building topped by the green roof
almost disappears. Next page, in the
living room, floor-to-ceiling windows
amplify the dialogue with the landscape.
The simple but comfortable straw
armchairs are inspired by the traditional
chairs of the Orkney Islands.

The kitchen, a single large room,
is the heart of the house. On the
ceiling, cedar wood used for beams
and panelling conveys a sense
of warmth and simplicity, accentuated
by neutral hues and natural
materials; on the walls, rough plaster
recalls the exterior finish.

Rocks formations and emerald hills, bodies of water and
volcanoes. Suddenly, a green architecture appears between
the lake and mountains. New Zealand: we’re in Queenstown,
in the southernmost part of the South Island, among the
evocative scenery of the Southern Alps. A paradise for nature
lovers and a starting point for strategic excursions where, in
recent years, a family from the North Island dreamt to
establish its second home. “The process hasn’t been straightforward”, explains Tim Hay, who designed the architecture in
collaboration with Jeff Fearon. “To begin with, the customer
spent time exploring and getting to know the area. Later on,
the planning took a year and a half, the actual build another
two years”. The outcome bears the evocative name of
Matagouri Lodge (the same of a thorny, endemic plant in the
area) and “was conceived by ongoing conversations with the
client, with whom we cocreated a narrative concept. For them
it was important to use natural materials and warm hues,
starting with understanding the place where the house would
be built, the colours, the vegetation; the final objective was to
add the landscape’s colours and textures inside the
architecture”. And here it is: a building that is mostly
structured horizontally, covered by a green roof in order
better insert itself into the surrounding environment. Laterally,
a vertical concrete volume emerges from the soil almost like a
rocky outcrop, attracting the gaze. “We didn’t want the
building to disappear completely. Instead, we wanted it to be
mysterious, mimetic, but with a simple, strong design, a kind of
tower rising towards the sky with a panoramic outlook; on the
top level, the bedrooms have a 360° view over the lake and
mountains”, with a kind of ‘complete freedom’ to counterpoint
the – limited albeit generous – possibilities of the spaces
below. As for the building, Hay continues to explain, “the
initial concept was to create a house that lessened the
requirements for steel. The roof features structural timber
elements supporting a green cover that mitigates interior
temperatures and provides the project with an ecological
imprint. For the customer, the use of green materials and
strategies to make the entire building sustainable were
paramount”. Even the shape of the roof completely blends
into the landscape: “We didn’t want to limit ourselves by
making a flat roof with plants on top, so we followed the
outline of the terrain and the knolls surrounding the house”.
The same criteria apply to the interiors inspired by Shaker
culture: minimalist design, function before form, neutral tones,
utensils hung on the walls. “The client’s brief was to create a
rural cottage”, interior designer Dawdy Brown who worked
on the project tells us. An honourable mention goes to “the
traditional, high-back chair from the Orkney Islands that stood
quietly and reassuringly in a corner of my childhood home
and was the inspiration for these interiors. Designed to shelter
its inhabitants from any drafts, with golden oat straw bundles
tied to a wooden frame, it fully embodies the feeling of
craftsmanship and simplicity we dreamed of attaining”. –

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“The process hasn’t been straight-forward.
The planning took a year and a half, the actual
build another two years”
Tim Hay

Above, the sleeping quarters
have windows on all sides for a
unique view. Opposite page, above,
view from outside the tower that
houses the bedroom, clad in
weatherproof concrete and bordered
by a green roof; below, a glimpse
of the en suite bathroom in the
master bedroom. Vieques bathtub
by Patricia Urquiola for Agape.
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The private garden is a sheltered
courtyard conveying a sense of
protection from the wind while
catching the sun’s rays. Next page,
the roof that plays with the
topography by merging with it,
on the courtyard side, has a curved
edge which softens its profile and
introduces the green covering.

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inside–design
Soft upholsteries/Versatile designs/Metal touch

Circular economy. Handmade
and with a green heart, the carpets
and rugs from the Recycled
Collection series by Luxury Carpet
Studio. To produce them, the brand
led by Vincenzo Solenne has chosen
Econyl®, an innovative synthetic yarn
created by the Aquafil group, which
comes from the recycling of fishing
nets, plastic waste and manufacturing
scraps. The results are tailored,
refined pieces designed for the
residential, hotel, nautical and
automotive sectors. luxurycarpet.it

by Tamara Bianchini and Murielle Bortolotto
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INSIDE DESIGN/WELLNESS

Autumn colours envelop the furnishings of the bathroom area.
New contemporary version for a faucet of yesteryear
[1]

[2]

1. Trama. Designed by Nic Design, the collection consists of a piece of furniture
housing a rectangular ceramic washbasin with rounded corners. The vanilla
version, pictured, is available in matte or polished finish. The lower shelf
accommodates a storage tray. Measures 131x50x85h cm. nicdesign.it
2. Adam, light blue and brown hues on a chevron motif define the pure cotton
Missoni Home towel. missoni.com 3. Solo Due, shower tray designed by
Officina Azzurra for Azzurra Ceramica, 2 cm thick. Customisable in 22 sizes
and shapes on demand. Three finishes: Colors1250°, Le Malteceramiche®
and Shine. azzurraceramica.it 4. Stilo, the historical collection by Carimali is
revamped and becomes Still-Oh thanks to the designer touch of Guido Nicolini.
A complete line of bathroom tapware (washbasin, bathtub and shower),
pictured, in Dark Bronze Matt finish. carimali.it

[3]

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[4]

INSIDE DESIGN/PROJECTS

Photos Federico Ciamei

Wallpaper defined by a ‘marker effect’ line. Repeated
endlessly, it becomes a decorative motif

Lines and colour. “This collection
is inspired by the markers I use
for drawing”. This is how Stefan
Scholten describes the wallpaper
series, The Maker, created
for the Dutch brand BN Walls.
To be discovered in the endlessly
repeated striped pattern and the
choice of blended colours.
Imperfect lines, available in a
wide colour palette.
stefanscholten.com, bnwalls.com

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INSIDE DESIGN/ KITCHEN

A kitchen system and appliances designed for new ways
of living. Hypnotic dishes and hi-tech solutions
[1]

[2]

[3]

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1. Update for Ak Project by Arrital. The kitchen system
created in 2017 is ever evolving and this year is
enriched by Sipario. A new concept with four folding
doors, a Tonga wood-effect finish and an operating
cooking zone integrated in the steel top. Lighting and
hood with remote control elegantly recessed into the
structure. arrital.com 2. The Sultan Series, limited
edition plates with ‘magnetic’ gold decorations and
portraits of exotic faces. An idea by Bertrando
Di Renzo for Les Ottomans. les-ottomans.com
3. Combined oven and microwave by V-Zug,
distributed by Frigo2000. Black mirror glass with
stainless steel ventilated or steam cooking chamber
for V6000 45M PowerSteam. frigo2000.it
4. Elements by Falmec is a collection offering solutions
designed to meet different needs and built-in types.
Such as Monolith, resting on the worktop, with a 90
cm suction element and storage modules (right and left)
that can hold spices, ladles, knives, chopping boards
and other utensils. falmec.com

[4]

INSIDE DESIGN/PROJECTS

All-natural look. With floor and wall surfaces in greige shades

Wild is the new collection by Del Conca. Defined
by a luminous texture, thanks to the Breccia stone effect.
Available in a range of cold, neutral white and grey hues
or warmer beige and greige shades. To be used to cover
vertical and horizontal surfaces, available in five formats,
120x120, 60x120, 80x80, 60x60, 30x60 cm,
and in two different mosaics. delconca.com

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INSIDE DESIGN/WELLNESS

Innovative pieces to create and furnish the wellness area.
‘Save-the-water’ accessories with shimmering, metallic effects
[1]

[2]

1. White-body ceramics for Acquariodue’s
Incensum surface line. Pictured,
in the wellness room, with Nuvoletta
metallic finish. For wall or floor coverings.
acquariodue.com 2. Delano is a collection
designed by Alessandro Paolelli for Axa.
Pictured, the hanging washbasin made of
chalk white ceramic. Light and essential, it
has a single oval body with a large basin
and countertop. Measures 100x46h cm.
axaceramica.it 3. Metallic and elegant
are the variations of the Blink plaque by

Oli. Available in stainless steel, gunmetal,
brushed, black and matte white, polished
chrome, but also bronze, gold and light
gold. Double flush for intelligent water
use. Dimensions 21x14h cm. oli-world.com
4. A state-of-the-art system, Geberit One
by Geberit, to create the wellness area.
A whole space with sanitary fittings,
shower and furniture to be installed with
simple and studied wall-mounting.
It is completed with the space-saving
washbasin. geberit.com

[3]

[4]

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design–book
New finishes/Marble design/Views

Photo Federico Torra

Martino Gamper, designercraftsman, during the last
Design Week created a playful
set-up in Kerakoll’s Milan
showroom, interpreting the
nuances and finishes of the
brand’s Color Collection (150
shades divided into fifteen
colour scales). A sophisticated
solution that encourages to
reinvent interiors, using for
example the water-based
coloured micro-resin with matte
finish, pictured, for floors or
coatings. kerakoll.com

by Tamara Bianchini
211 ELLE DECOR

Suitable for the city and elsewhere. Ideas for dividing and arranging
spaces with graphic patterns and colour
[1]
[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

1. Stopray Vision 72T, stratophone iplus 1.0 by AGC Glass is the glass
façade, pictured, chosen by the CMR studio for the new Milanese
area The Sign, in the south-west of the city, redeveloped into a business
district. agc-yourglass.com 2. Timeless, pure graphic lines for the handle
designed by Marco Pisati for Dnd. Made of aluminium, available in nine
colours and the brand-new turquoise and dove blue. dndhandles.com
3-4. Urban by Marcel Wanders Studio for Devon&Devon. Large ceramic
slabs recalling the layout and history of the city of Florence. Three
variations available, 120x240 cm. devon-devon.com 5. Delineo,
glass door system from the Scenario line by FerreroLegno. Two fixed
and sliding doors made of Flutes crystal, in the Satinato Bianco finish
with defining vertical lines. ferrerolegno.com 6. Il Duomo, geometric
pattern inspired by the motifs on the steps of Sant’Andrea, the cathedral
of Amalfi. Hand-made and decorated by Ceramica Francesco De Maio,
it has a non-slip finish in the square format, 53x53x1.2h cm, for indoor
and outdoor use. francescodemaio.it
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[6]

INSIDE DESIGN/ MATERIALS

A daylight system designed to screen out light.
Furniture and cladding: marble is the hero
[1]

1. Screeny 130 GC cabrio S27, a roller blind by KE. A solution for
shading and covering doors and windows according to office or living
requirements. Made of fabric, available in thirty-four RAL colours.
keoutdoordesign.com 2. Cubic is an armchair with a Carrara marble
shell designed by Luca Dini for Franchi Umberto Marmi. High
technology for homeDesign, with upholstered and padded cushions and
wooden feet. fum.it 3. Venice, a new collection by Unicomstarker.
A mix of fragments and stone chips reminiscent of Venetian seminato.
Casalgrande, Giudecca, La Fenice, Murano, Rialto and San Marco
are the variations, in square and rectangular formats. unicomstarker.com
4. Modulo.2, matte monochrome by Studio KO (Karl Fournier
and Olivier Marty) for Bisazza. Three types of marble are here
combined: white Arabescato, white Thassos and golden Calacatta,
for bold interiors. bisazza.com

[3]

[2]

[4]

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Photo Federico Cedrone

Ad hoc. New pivot system
for the Radius door designed by
Giuseppe Bavuso for Rimadesio.
A versatile project that allows for
full-height concepts. Platinum
aluminium structure, Taiga oak
wood panel. Also available in
Sahara oak and in the forty-eight
Ecolorsystem variations.
Or in glossy, matte, reflex, share,
diamond, mirror and Litech
lacquered glass. rimadesio.it

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INSIDE DESIGN/ MATERIALS

Fine wood doors and full-height windows. From Portugal,
handmade tiles in rosy shades
1. Pivot Door, full-height (floor-to-ceiling) panoramic glass door
with black painted aluminium frame and transparent glass.
Pictured, the door as part of a project in Roccamare (GR) by
Net Studio. sky-frame.com 2. PerfectSense, painted wood
panel with Feelwood finish, which creates a veined pattern;
the surface is fingerprint resistant. Designed to clad furniture in
four oak variations, also available in elegant chestnut and
black. egger.com 3. Mar D is the new proposal by Studiopepe
for Theia. A Portuguese brand producing hand-made ceramic
tiles. Pictured, Mar, Mar di Flores, Mar di Giava with
unexpected pink hues. theiatiles.com 4. Eikon EVO, threemodule plate by Vimar. Made of total white backlit aluminium.
With controls for lighting and unexpected views. vimar.com
5. Wall&door, linear boiserie with panels and Filo55 hinged
door by Lualdi. Available in fine woods or glossy, matte
lacquered essences, also in leather or fabric. Pictured,
the fossil black version. lualdiporte.com

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Photos Pietro Savorelli

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Total black on surfaces and accessories, for a stylish renovation of the spaces
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Photo Lorenzo Pennati

1. Tiles (R)evolution. The encounter between Seletti
and Ceramica Bardelli gives rise to a capsule collection
of surfaces for floors and walls. Pictured, Distortion,
total black porcelain stoneware with a super matte
finish. ceramicabardelli.com - seletti.it 2. Carmen by
Valli&Valli, handle with fluid lines. Made of brass, with
four finishes for a strong grip. vallievalli.com 3. Moove
Urban by Déco. Wooden modules for walls and false
ceilings. In four finishes: wood, black and pure white.
A water-repellent protective film allows its use also in
the bathroom and kitchen. decodecking.com
4. PA059, coat stand by Studio Architetti Associati
Marelli&Molteni for Pamar, painted matte black.
pamar.com 5. Arrow, from the Signature line by
Woodco. 45x45x1,4h cm for different laying patterns
(Italian herringbone, linear, squares or carpets).
Brushed Slovenian oak. woodco.it 6. FIN-Slide by
Finstral. Sliding door with super slim profile, 6 cm.
Maxi size for more light. finstral.com 7. Vivienne
by Palazzetti. Ecofire® pellet stove. Hermetic, with
tempered glass door. Sides available in mocha, black
and white. Connection Box for control via smartphone
or voice commands. palazzetti.it

INSIDE DESIGN/ MATERIALS

A play of surfaces Total Biglass is an all-glass solution with
a metal finish. The hinged door is made of transparent
glass, with a Brown frame and Playa handle. The frames
can also be chosen in gold, slate, eve and rose variants.
The project is completed by the Segno Boiserie, with Onda
pantograph in an earth oak finish. garofoli.com

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Natural materials to be combined with smart and innovative systems
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1. Illume vinyl flooring collection from Quick-Step. Eight
decorative patterns for horizontal surfaces that are easy to
install and have a velvety, waterproof touch. Concrete, stone
with shells or pebbles effect. quick-step.co.uk 2. Next-Elettra,
Dierre High-Tech Line security door. Thermal and acoustic
insulation. Combined mechanical and automatic opening
with access control via smartphone with myDoor App, and
Key-Less Bluetooth connection system. dierre.com
3. Cortina by Favorita is a granite of Brazilian origin.
The colour ranges from cream to beige with rust or black hues
with quartz details. Durable material and particularly
suitable for kitchen countertops. granitifavorita.com
4. Frangisole by Oknoplast. A system of adjustable aluminium
louvres, with a Somfy motor, positioned externally
to manage sunlight and protect windows from atmospheric
agents as well as guaranteeing privacy. Twenty colours for
small and large windows. oknoplast.it 5. Olmo de Casera by
Cadorin. Italian elm wood large-size planks, with raw
brushed effect finish. From 230 to 300 mm, available in three
thicknesses. cadoringroup.it

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INSIDE DESIGN/ MATERIALS

Special products manufactured from a sculptural material.
And ideas for original decorations
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1. AWS75.SI by Schüco. Aluminium window system included in the
residential project designed by Melchiorre Bega in the Isola area of
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Milan, now redeveloped as AlseriO 10 by Asti Architetti. A system with
specific characteristics, durability, design and temperature insulation.
schueco.it 2. Iride, a marble module with a metal frame, for interiors,
used to assemble walls or partitions. The decorative, rhythmic slits filter the
light. 121x121 cm, available in the following marbles: Bardiglio nuvolato,
pictured, Verde imperiale and Carrara ghiaccio. lithosdesign.com
3. Ipogeo®Sisma Zebrato, a line created by the researcher of Margraf
Innovation Lab. Marble becomes the protagonist on floors, walls
or furnishings. In the Palus, Pagos, Origo, Sisma and Metamorfosi finishes.
margraf.it 4. Dioscuri, from the Domus Pompeii series designed by
Roberto Sironi. Small table made up of three superimposing fluted column
sections. Rima marble (a combination of alabaster plaster, water and
mineral pigments). robertosironi.it 5. Heritage Luxe by Florim. Porcelain
stoneware inspired by marble slabs, in four formats. Also available in
larger size and in different thicknesses. florim.com

Photo Daniele Domenicali

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Space, time and perception.
‘Olafur Eliasson: Nel suo tempo’ (Olafur
Eliasson: in your time) is the result of research
work begun six years ago. In this fundamental
solo exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi, the artist
establishes a dialogue between his best-known
works (pictured, ‘How do you live together?’,
2019), site-specific projects and visitors.
Until 22/1/2023. palazzostrozzi.org

n.b.
October — Exhibitions, events
and openings. The best
of contemporary art and new
expressions in Italy and Europe

by Piera Belloni

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N.B. OCTOBER

Luigi Ontani, ‘Dante’, 1972. In Paris

Richard Avedon, ‘Dovima with
elephants’, evening dress by Dior,
Cirque d’Hiver, 1955. In Milan

© Rome, Fabio Sargentini, Archivio L’Attico © Luigi Ontani - © The Richard Avedon Foundation
Photo Gabriele Tocchio, Courtesy Archivio Nanda Vigo - © JR, Iris Hesse, Ullstein Bild, Roger-Viollet, Berlin, Germany, 2018

Archivio Cesare Cattaneo.
In Cernobbio (CO)

Italian authors in Paris — Opening on 11/10 at the Jeu de Paume,
‘Renverser ses yeux’ traces the history of Arte Povera from 1960 to 1975.
The title is taken from a project by Giuseppe Penone, ‘Rovescire i propri
occhi’, on show together with works by Ontani, Griso, Jodice, De Dominicis,
among others. Created in collaboration with the Triennale, it will be in Milan
in 2023, until 29/1/2023. jeudepaume.org Itineraries in Lombardy —
The second edition of ‘inTOUR. Design, artists, Made in Italy’ is on schedule
from 21 to 23/10: for three days, places with restricted access such as
ateliers, artists’ and architects’ archives and business museums will be open
to the public. It includes 13 itineraries, in Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Como,
Pavia, Varese and their provinces. Info on museocity.it Photography in
Milan — More than 100 fashion photos and portraits make up ‘Richard
Avedon. Relationship’, at Palazzo Reale until 29/1/2023. The author’s
career is retraced with 10 thematic sections, including one that illustrates
his fruitful collaboration with Gianni Versace. avedonmilano.it Art Fair in
Verona — From 14 to 16/10 ArtVerona, a great kermesse with 134
participating galleries, opens to the public at Veronafiere. Among the
novelties is the Habitat section, presenting immersive spaces by great Italian
artists such as Ugo La Pietra, Nanda Vigo, Marina Apollonio, and Luciano
Fabro. This year, the Red Carpet that welcomes visitors is designed by
Stefano Arienti. artverona.it Retrospective in Munich — Street artist or
‘photograffeur’, as he calls himself, JR takes centre stage at the Kunsthalle in
the Bavarian capital, until 15/1/2023. For his works, a form of public outcry
and urban regeneration interacting with architecture, the author uses several
media, like photos, videos and gigantic collages. kunsthalle-muc.de

Nanda Vigo, ‘Genesis’, installation
at Palazzo Crivelli, 2007, Calvi Volpi Gallery.
In Verona

JR, ‘Giants’, Brandenburg Gate,
Sept 27th 2018. In Monaco
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