Officine Panerai makes waves at SIHH 2018

The main exhibition space, with deck flooring and brushed brass elements inspired by nautical interiors

(Image credit: press)

last updated 11 October 2022

Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola looked to Officine Panerai’s marine heritage for inspiration when she began work on her design for the Italian watch marque’s new 840 sq m mega-booth at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva.

Founded in Florence in 1860, Officine Panerai supplied the Italian Navy for many decades, specialising in precision instruments for the diving corps, and is today known for iconic models such as the Mare Nostrum chronograph.

Visitors coming aboard Urquiola’s showstopper of a booth, inspired by maritime architecture and nautical interiors, encounter an ocean-going ambience of brushed brass, cobblestone glass walls, wood panelling, banquettes and deck flooring all referencing an elegantly salty, luxury sailing vernacular. A reception desk of rope-effect wainscoting completes the yacht aesthetic, while glass vitrines redolent of nautical instruments showcase Officine Panerai’s latest collections and novelties.

Urquiola’s partnership with Officine Panerai began in 2011 when the Milan-based designer worked as art director on ‘O’Clock – Time Design, Design Time’, an exhibition at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum that included an Urquiola-conceived timeline of the brand. In 2014 Urquiola redesigned Officine Panerai’s Piazza San Giovanni store in Florence, overseeing the transformation of the small historic boutique (the brand's first, it opened at the turn of the century) into a 285 sq m flagship. ‘I feel a great bond with Panerai,’ says Urquiola, ‘because I share the same values: a focus on design and technology, but not in an obvious, show-off way. There is credibility, consistency and quality”.

For the SIHH exhibition stand, Urquiola created 17 different rooms, each representing a different Panerai timepiece – L’Astronomo, Lo Scienziato, Luminor Due, Luminor Logo et al. ‘This new Officine Panerai booth not only brings together very different elements, blurring the lines between the traditional and the contemporary, but also allows Panerai watches to speak for themselves,’ says Angelo Bonati, the company’s CEO. ‘We found that we shared common ground: a love of design, rigorous execution, consistency with the history of the brand and a striving for excellence.’

Taking pride of place in the booth’s lounge area are Patricia Urquiola’s ‘Mafalda’ chairs for Moroso. They feature a wavy felt back perfectly in keeping with the maritime theme

A wall with an image on it next to an open door in front of a floor with square tiles. — The exhibition stand is divided into 17 different rooms, each dedicated to an Officine Panerai timepiece

The reception desk and the lounge area are separated by a large glass wall inspired by lighthouse lenses

The Black Seal meeting room, named after the Radiomir model originally designed for the Italian Navy in the 1930s

For more information, visit the Officine Panerai website

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.

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