MOLTENI & C

The Italian brand’s new London flagship is a shrine to design

What’s the story? Step through a set of towering doors on Brompton Road and you enter the world of total calm that is the new Molteni & C showroom. With an interior orchestrated by the brand’s creative director, designer Vincent Van Duysen, the space occupies a building built in the late 1800s, with rooms full of architectural idiosyncrasies. What will I find inside? Magnificent arches and doorways, all clad in textural plaster by Oikos, lead you to discover kitchen designs by Dada (including a wine cellar tucked into an alcove) and a living room – with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the V&A across the road – which features classic pieces such as Gio Ponti’s ‘D.156.3’ armchairs, the ‘Turner’ sofa by Hannes Wettstein and Foster + Partners’ new ‘Ava’ bookcase. ‘I wanted to evoke domesticity and conviviality,’ explains Van Duysen. ‘People can relax in this living room that opens up to the world and lets London in – it’s cinematic.’ The pieces of art come from Molteni & C’s ‘The Collector’s House’ project, an edit of work by six young Italian artists. Head down the walnut staircase and you find intimate rooms. ‘The vaults have a historic poetry, adding an element of curiosity,’ says Van Duysen. ‘ We’re showcasing iconic designs – giving them space to breathe.’ Why should I visit? For the sheer beauty of the store, and the serenity it radiates. ‘As you enter from the buzz of the capital, you feel immediately calm. It has a sense of protection,’ Van Duysen continues. ‘Architecture has to function as a sanctuary. You feel at ease when entering this space – it’s a reaction we aim for in all of our work.’ molteni.it

‘PEOPLE CAN RELAX IN THIS LIVING ROOM THAT OPENS UP TO THE WORLD – IT’S CINEMATIC’