Aurea: An Architectural Fiction by Maison Numéro 20

Maison Numéro 20 presents Aurea, an Architectural Fiction unveiled at the heart of the Salone del Mobile.Milano as part of the “A Luxury Way” event in Pavilions 13–15 April 2026. Conceived as an immersive narrative installation, Aureaintroduces an imaginary hotel that rewrites the codes of luxury and hospitality, transforming them into a theatrical and deeply sensory experience.

More than a hotel in the traditional sense, Aurea is envisioned as a total spatial experience and a reflection on design as a narrative form. It unfolds as a mise-en-scène of the imaginary: a choreography of rooms and corridors in which luxury is expressed through evocation rather than ostentation. Interior décor becomes both story and scenography, inviting visitors into a suspended world shaped by emotion, memory and atmosphere.

The project is conceived by Maison Numéro 20, the Parisian interior decoration and art direction studio founded by Oscar Lucien Ono, often described as a master of haute couture decoration. Within Aurea, diverse influences converge—Art Deco, surrealism, mythology, auteur cinema and orientalism—forming a language that balances excess and subtraction, material presence and vision. Contemporary expressions engage freely with classical references, giving rise to a timeless aesthetic that unites heritage, innovation and emotional resonance.

Aurea proposes an otherworldly interpretation of architecture and interiors. Each space is imagined as the projection of a dream, a scene suspended beyond time and place. A constant search for balance and measured beauty permeates the entire project. The name Aurea derives from the Latin aureus, meaning “golden,” “brilliant,” and “precious,” while also referencing the golden ratio, long regarded as a symbol of harmony and visual completeness.

Oscar Lucien Ono describes the project as an opportunity to articulate a personal vision of hospitality—one in which architecture and design shape intimate scenarios through narrative composition and a sensitive dialogue between light and matter. In this sense, Aurea transcends traditional function to propose a universal idea of space, inviting visitors to perceive themselves as travellers rather than spectators.

The experience is articulated through a sequence of theatrical environments, echoing the spirit of the Salone as a place of discovery and wonder. Room by room, the installation becomes a journey through ever-evolving atmospheres, offering a form of suspended hospitality where each space is intimate and born of imagination.

The exploration begins in the Hall of Dreams, a dramatic entrance defined by arches and subdued lighting that introduces visitors to a dreamlike realm. This leads into the Velvet Salon, an enveloping interior featuring a stylised fireplace and a meditative ambiance that evokes a sense of timelessness. The Forbidden Oasis follows, imagined as a veiled and sensual Art Deco drawing room, complete with lacquered palm trees and a deliberately secretive atmosphere.

The journey continues into the Thousand Nights Suite, conceived as an Oriental fairytale private palazzo, adorned with mother-of-pearl mosaics and soft silken drapes. The experience concludes at the Midnight Bar, a clandestine setting where nocturnal charm and golden light converge, creating an atmosphere of ghostly elegance and refined aesthetic pleasure.

Beyond its narrative and visual richness, Aurea also stands as a manifesto for a more responsible vision of luxury. Sustainability is integral to the project, with every element—from materials and fabrics to lighting and installations—selected according to principles of circularity and environmental respect. Through collaborations with partners such as Nagami Design, which transforms plastic recovered from the ocean into next-generation furnishings, Aurea redefines luxury as a conscious and considered act rather than one of consumption.

In Aurea, Maison Numéro 20 offers a compelling vision of architecture as fiction, hospitality as narrative, and luxury as an experience rooted in harmony, imagination and responsibility.