Molteni&C has unveiled a virtual portal that offers guests an immersive experience of its new showroom, designed by the company’s creative director Vincent Van Duysen at the Giussano headquarters and now available through an online portal.
‘Daily life pushes us to perceive the spaces also in a virtual way, dreaming and imagining of crossing the two worlds,’ comments Van Duysen, who was tasked to imagine a multifunctional space that represented a domestic environment and gave a context to the company’s timeless design collections.
‘We thought of creating a house, alternating all the domestic spaces, such as kitchen, living area and sleeping area, in the same way as we design private homes,’ says Van Duysen. ‘The central theme was the transition between one room to the next: just like in the Milanese palaces, we emphasized the doors as portals between the rooms, working with metal finishes and a sober and elegant design.’ His approach is apparent in the showroom’s entrance, a sort of visual manifesto for his work at Molteni&C: ‘for me it is important to enter and feel immediately in a safe and welcoming space, it is from here that you start taking in Molteni’s soul and house.’
The inspiration for the project, the architect explains, came from his several talks with the Molteni family, and from their desire to open to new horizons and markets, while looking at the cultures of the world. ‘We worked on the spatial hierarchy of environments, with architectural elements such as columns or fireplaces, stairs and double heights to enrich the visual and sensory experience,’ continues the architect. Each room is discreetly designed to represent different interpretations of living and being, as he calls them, ‘different souls’.
The entrance of Molteni's new Giussano showroom, created by Vincent Van Duysen as a visual manifesto of his approach to the project
One of the key pieces from this year’s collections which features in the space is Van Duysen’s Hector bookcase. ‘For me this is definitely the protagonist, a versatile system with infinite configurations designed to be a room divider or wall mounted, that lends itself well to become an integral part of new environments.’ The space also includes the new Half a Square table by Michael Anastassiades, characterized by a minimal design based on a triangular shape that gives structure to the piece.
Just as important as the physical visit, the immersive virtual tour (available via molteniexperience.com) discreetly guides visitors through the showroom, allowing them to explore its rooms freely or through a floorplan – replicating the experience of navigating a space in person and understanding its context. Clicking on the rooms’ contents opens up a detailed guide which includes accurate information on each piece complete with information on the design, technical drawings and data sheets. The virtual showroom is developed on the fine line between experiential and informative, becoming an escape as well as a practical tool to explore the furniture collections by Molteni and Dada kitchens.
The experience of a global pandemic and working in isolation has informed Van Duysen’s design as well as the dual fruition of the space. ‘It was a reflective and introspective moment, during which we thought about the essence of design and the importance of wellness and wellbeing, sustainability and the beauty of inner peace.’
A fireplace separates this first floor bedroom from the walk in closet. Pictured here, the new Azul bed by Nicola Gallizia
A study area visible from one of the house's walk-in closets
On the third floor, a wall of greenery separates the multifunctional and modular Sistema XY kitchen by Francesco Meda from the living areas nearby
A view of the VVD kitchen by Vincent Van Duysen, on the showroom's first floor. Its rich material palette includes steel base units doors, ceppo worktops with integrated sink, graphite oak snack worktop with a pewter structure and matt lacquered lead columnns
A living area on the ground floor
The first floor dining room, with Michael Anastassiades' Half a Square table and Barbican chairs by Rodolfo Dordoni. Vincent Van Duysen's new Hector bookshelf divides the space from the nearby living area, while on the opposite wall is an artwork by Brazilian artist Pietro Pasolini
Approaching the second floor, a sitting room features Gio Ponti's D.154.2 chairs, originally designed in the 1950s for Villa Planchart in Caracas. On the wall is the Hector bookcase by Vincent Van Duysen, one of the new pieces launched this year
INFORMATION
A tour of Molteni's new showroom is available through molteniexperience.com
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