In February, Italian accessories label Furla unveiled its redesigned sans serif logo, its sleek typography inspired by arches found inside the palazzo of the brand’s Furla Foundation in Bologna. The city too is renowned for its signature porches. It's this architectural element which has inspired the construction of the brand’s newly renovated flagship in Milan’s historic Piazza Duomo, designed by David Chipperfield Architects Milan.
‘We were inspired by the history of Milan, the heritage of the great Italian designers pervades the city even now,’ Chipperfield explains of the design of the double floor space, which has been enlarged to 263 sq m. ‘Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti, Achille Castiglione, Gae Aulenti and many others.’ Arches are a focal element, noted not only in the boutique’s architecture, but also in the curving shapes of fixtures and furnishings, formed from anodized aluminium. The store’s walls have a tactile finish, coated in rough plaster formed from different clays, which contrast with original enclaves and niches, which have been left intact.
Tactility is integral to the space, which also features smooth flooring formed from pastellone plaster, tables in lacquered wood and sugary coloured marble and circular hemp carpets.
Chipperfield – who has designed retail spaces for Bally, Valentino and SSENSE – remains positive regarding the endurance of bricks-and-mortar retail. ‘Although our shopping habits are changing and our lives have become more influenced by the virtual, we still value the physical experience and the quotidian rituals of urban life. In designing the Furla store we continue our commitment to the importance of the physical qualities of the retail experience and the importance of presentation of beautiful objects,' he says. The space also features an additional physical space, for pop-ups and events.
RELATED STORY
In light Covid-19 restrictions, Furla fans keen to get a glimpse of its new space, will have the chance to do so digitally, with an online 3D virtual tour.
INFORMATION
davidchipperfield.com
furla.com
furlaopeningparty.com
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial siteWe tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape specialist SWA Group completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
Sir David Chipperfield collaborates with Tsatsas on a wallet that’s ‘a piece of architecture in miniature’The third chapter in a long-running collaboration between architect Sir David Chipperfield and German leather brand Tsatsas sees the cardholder reimagined. Here, Chipperfield and Esther and Dimitrios Tsatsas tell Wallpaper* more
-
Saint Laurent takes over modernist masterpiece Neue Nationalgalerie to show latest menswear collectionAt Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s final major building project in Berlin, Anthony Vaccarello showed an extraordinary Saint Laurent menswear collection of rigour, clarity and focus
-
AlphaTauri’s Salzburg HQ is a science fiction fantasyBrowse in-store, buy online: the future-focused mentality of AlphaTauri
-
Water inspires Holzweiler’s Snøhetta-designed Oslo flagshipHolzweiler Platz, the new retail destination of fashion brand Holzweiler in Oslo, is designed by architects Snøhetta as a naturalistic space that unites fashion, art and food
-
Manu Atelier's first boutique nods to Le Corbusier in IstanbulThe cult Istanbul-based label introduces bold, sculptural expressionism into this first bricks and mortar store
-
Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki flagship evokes a rippling pillar of waterJapanese architect Jun Aoki creates a water-like facade for Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki Tokyo flagship
-
Alternative retail websites for fashionable festive giftingLook to luxury etailers Rêve En Vert, APOC Store and Doda the Store, Aspect and Zero-Living for feel-good gifting options that support emerging creatives and artists, and have a sustainability-focused mindset
-
David Chipperfield delves deep for very personal bag design‘It has been an opportunity to design a bag that suits my lifestyle,’ says the architect of the collaborative project with German accessories label Tsatsas
