Molteni & C: New Flagship Store Opens in Milan

The Molteni Group, with Molteni&C | Dada, charged Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen with designing a novel Flagship Store, a gracious and secluded home-from-home within an exhibition space in Milan.

The Group’s biggest monobrand, in the prestigious central location of Corso Europa with via Cavallotti, part of the new Durini Design District, with its 1300 sq.m arranged over two levels and 15 shop windows, represents the creative director’s new concept retail space. This is where the Molteni&C and Dada brands showcase their ideas of contemporary home living. A cross-section of the Molteni Group right in Milan, the international capital of avant-garde design and headquarters of the historic brand established just over 80 years ago. Their creations are available locally in South Africa by their agents True Design. The spatial experience, the materials chosen and the lighting (in partnership with Flos and Artemide) are deliberately designed to offer an atmospheric and involving experience, a new home concept based on the skillful alternation of spaces and material geometries. The main architectural features, such as the wood flooring, black oak panelling and warm grey volumes with a smooth plaster finish, create a sleek but welcoming home environment, where the focus is on the furniture.

The inclusion of wooden ceiling beams matching the floor effectively blurs the separation between the living and dining spaces, offering a continuous flow of interconnected interiors. The extension of the historic store in Corso Europa, initially devoted only to the Molteni&C and Vitra brands, complete the distribution network renovation process, which has been ongoing for several years and has seen increasing links between the Dada kitchen world and the Molteni&C home living world. The alternating materials, natural stones such as green porphyry and Gré, woods such as walnut and graphite oak, satin-finish steel, the new titan and pewter metallic lacquers and the play of solids and voids create a dynamic but sophisticated kitchen in the Dada area. The project is completed with generous pull-out trays, wooden drawers and under-top trolleys.

An aluminium load-bearing frame allows for suspended island compositions. Innovation is expressed with hi-tech details such as the aluminium section that discreetly outlines the door handle, improving the grip, and the pivot hinge that allows the column doors to open 180° and enhancing the interior space. The Momento family of storage units is enriched with accessories such as power points, wooden shelves, i-Pad holders and knife and glass holders, glass doors and clock doors. In two sizes, the cabinets are made of a pewter-finish aluminium frame and walnut or grey oak shelves. The back panel is made of the same wood as the shelves or in extra clear acid-etched mirrored glass.

Next to Banco, the new open column is displayed, with vertical sliding door, a simple and functional technical solution the helps to keep the space tidy. It comes in just one size (width 1200 mm), with wooden vertical opening and closing door. The column contains the 015 lighting system. In addition, the Dada collection features other elements such as open columns with luminous profiles, which can be fitted with new wooden glass holders and trays, as well as LED lighting in drawers and saucepan compartments. Two collections designed by Dante Bonuccelli are updated with new compositions and structure. The Tivalì box kitchen has doubled in size and changed shape: from linear to angular, it adapts while maintaining its basic features. In the showroom it is presented with matt clay lacquered external doors, Fenix® beige luxor base unit and top. Trim, with its back panels accessorized to exploit the space between the worktop and wall units, is now available with a 6 cm skirting board; it is displayed in a version with gloss silica lacquered door and stainless steel top.