Articolo Milan I

The project presents a bold yet understated exhibition space to launch Australian lighting brand Articolo in the European market at Salone del Mobile, Milan. The space was designed as a quiet refuge from the surrounding noise of one of the largest trade fairs in the world. The brief was to present a collection of products in a manner that best represented the brand and stood out among the thousands of other exhibitors. The internal space is partially concealed to passers-by with a single light fitting anchoring a deeply recessed entry portal, further delineated with a steel threshold and over-scaled walls conveying a sense of mass and solidity. Once through the entry threshold, visitors are greeted by a space that opens up, with the wall opposite curving through a bold arc beneath a large overhead void with walls appearing to disappear into the skylight above. A built-in joinery unit cantilevers below a more slender skylight at the other end of the space and contains material samples, collateral and storage for staff. Central to the space is a simple built-in bench that quietly anchors the space, its heavy block-like form contrasting against the finely detailed glass and metal light fittings.