Ok, so Cassina’s Via Durini flagship is not exactly new: it’s now been in the same location for 50 years. To celebrate this milestone the space has been reimagined by the company’s current creative director, Patricia Urquiola. For the first time the cupola, which defined the original 1,200-square-foot space, has been partially sectioned off to shape defined spaces.
The main level of the now-expanded 2,000 square metre space is split into two wings with a ribbon of Venetian terrazzo cutting through the parquet flooring. The terrazzo runs from the entrance to join a new helix-shaped staircase that spirals beneath the building’s famous cupola overhead. Stripped of its previous decoration, the feature is now largely filled in with acoustic insulation, with a central oculus left to filter sunlight into the interior.
Launched just in time for New York Design Week, this Madison Avenue showroom is a real hotspot, hosting not one, but three major Italian brands: Molteni&C, Dada and UniFor. The latest from each are displayed over 1,160 square metres, broken into two floors, which are linked by a winding, wood-wrapped staircase.
Designed by Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen, the new flagship features a sophisticated material palette, which includes walnut and travertino marble which are both reinterpreted in various shades to help define the various brands and spaces.
The fourth Mainland China location for kitchen brand Gaggenau is one of many collaborations with German firm einszu33. Its March opening followed with a wood-filled stand at Eurocucina.
Both projects feature the same slatted wood walls, however in the permanent showroom, these are complemented by a miniature grove of Black Forest trees – a tribute to the brand’s German roots. And at a 530 square metres, the Chengdu showroom is not only significantly larger than the Milan stand, it’s Gaggenau’s biggest showroom to date.
When Antonio Lupi outgrew its 10-year-old showroom in the heart of the Brera Design District, Andrea Lupi, one of Antonio’s four offspring who head the company today, brought in multidisciplinary studio Calvi Brambilla to extend and reimagine the space.
Located in the podium base of a 1950s tower, the showroom was given new drama with the addition of an asymmetrical series of ceiling vaults that randomly drift in and out from a dark backdrop.
A former garage may seem an unlikely location for a high-end rug showroom, at least until Jan Kath launched its Toronto showroom, on McCaul Street, earlier this spring. Freshened up with a coat of white paint, the raw, industrial backdrop is a perfect juxtaposition against the vibrant hand-knotted rugs, which are hung on the walls like works of art. It’s appropriate for a venue that shares a neighbourhood with the Art Gallery of Ontario, OCADU and numerous independent galleries.
This spring also saw the launch of Carl Hansen‘s first San Francisco outpost. The flagship store, located in the city’s design district is bright and airy, the Danish modern furniture a perfect complement to the laid-back California vibe of the space itself. At night a plethora of lamps from another Danish brand, Louis Poulsen, illuminates the interior.
A functional kitchen, centered around an island cleverly built from Carl Hansen’s iconic Mogens Koch bookcases, offers a lounge area for customers to kick back with a coffee. The two main exhibition areas are joined by a library, which offers a comfortable opportunity to brush up on the brand’s history, either before or after taking in the classic and contemporary pieces on view.