Milan 2018—The Brera Design District reflected the design-tech trend seen elsewhere in the city and at the Salone del Mobile, while offering a historical teaser. Its name originates from the Medieval Italian word braida or brera, meaning a land expanse either cleared of trees or naturally lacking them. One of the highlights this year, Hidden Garden, reinitiated a relationship between people and nature.
This green installation by Pierattelli Architecture provided visitors with an escape from the bustling city. It measured 140 sqm and was enclosed by 45 panels supplied by PORCELANOSA Grupo. Mirror-lined panels reflected the interior space while the exterior panels were made of Krion. The garden was furnished with the Vitra Home Collection while the “grassy” parts were provided by Gruppo Giardini who brought together 200 aromatic plants and four large trees.
Hidden Garden ©Pierattelli Architetture
At Corso Garibaldi 44, Tecnografica Italian Wallcoverings presented their new wallcovering collections in at a temporary shop: Architetture, New Carpet and Honey Glam. Architetture features intense colors, geometrical shapes and patterns with a 3D effect. New Carpet references the details of Persian carpets. Honey Glam highlights Tecnografica’s new artistic application of translucid glitter resin, entirely handmade.
The new Architetture collection by Tecnografica . Courtesy of Tecnografica.
Nube presented their new collections designed by Studio Viganò at the Ponte Rosso Art Gallery. The Tiara armchair has an unusual jagged, oven-painted aluminium base. The curved wooden frame is covered by shape-retaining polyurethane foam.
In the main part of the Moroso showroom on Via Pontaccio, 8, Bethan Laura Wood presented her Mono Mania Mexico, a textile and furnishing project. Wood explained to ArchiExpo e-Magazine that the idea for the show was inspired by a visit to the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. She had gone there for an artist residency after winning the Designer of the Future Award at Miami Basel in 2013.
“I was obsessed with the stained glass windows of this church. It really impacted me. [The show] is all about one key inspiration and that being re-interpreted in several different ways through different types of jacquard, tapestries, and all the passionate, hot colors you see in the show.”
This was the designer’s first time collaborating with a company. “I’ve learned a lot from working with Moroso.”
The exhibition continued on the second floor with TAPESTRY, a gallery of designer tapestries by Tord Boontje, Gabriella Giandelli, Front and Alessandro Paderni. This section celebrated a return to a forgotten object.
Tord Boontje went back to a project he had already presented in 2009—the project had been paused for technical reasons. He expressed his thoughts on the subject to ArchiExpo e-Magazine.
“What is really great about Moroso is that it’s a company that values talent and time. They allowed me to revisit that original project and complete it for Milan Design Week this year.”
The tapestries project drawings that Boontje created when he was living in a forest in France and also from his studio in London. They include eerie and whimsical images of a wolf, bats and other critters under the moonlight, a colorful bird, and beetles—an interesting contrast to the main showroom on the lower floor.
“[The concept] is to have works that begin handmade that turns to technology to realize it.”
