The renowned fashion sector of Milan, Via Manzoni, is the ideal location for luxury brands seeking to create a storefront. Contemporary Italian furniture brand Meridiani unveiled a stunning new flagship earlier this year at Salone del Mobile 2023. The building, located at Via Manzoni 38, is housed in a historic early-1900 building and was designed by Meridiani art director Andrea Parisio in partnership with fellow Italian designer Giuseppe Pezzano. The distinguished façade exudes a refined elegance, therefore Parisio and Pezzano had to create equally elegant interiors that play well with the exterior and serve as a fitting backdrop for the luxurious, made-in-Italy Meridiani products.
“Our goal was to design the space around the product and create an extraordinary setting where the furnishing products blend in perfectly with the architecture,” says Parisio. “I think that being able to create design solutions that are tailored to one’s needs, working closely with interior and architecture, is the key to the design of the future and the present.”
The original idea for this two-story, 500-square-meter corporate showroom and retail space for Meridiani was to blur the lines between the architecture and the furnishings, use a layered palette of high-quality materials, and provide a calm, light-filled area that is set back from the busy street.
According to Parisio, the room is characterized by a chromatic approach, with white serving as the primary color. The many materials, such as marble, wood, and fabric, interact with the bright walls and floor, which are dotted with metal inserts in Calce del Brenta. Meridiani’s designs for the living, dining, and sleeping areas mix in this refined setting. Furthermore, contemporaneity takes the lead.
The striking full-height glass entrance door creates a dramatic first impression, and the tastefully decorated interior invites guests inside where the focal point of the entire project is a stately circular staircase with a light panel that looks like a skylight on top.
The curved interiors, from the sleek spiral staircase to the meandering walkways and intimate private nooks formed by the walls, are echoed in Meridiani’s opulent, modern furniture items.
Parisio notes, “The finishes, the edges, the contrast between the rough and the smooth—all of these architectural details meet the precision of fashion in this space.” “I firmly believe that the little things are what really count, and they should never be disregarded.”
Although the architecture and design make appropriate dynamic statements, the primary purpose of this showroom is to showcase Meridiani’s collections.
Alongside vintage items that have evolved into “manifesto pieces” for the brand are new furniture lines for 2023, such the Max modular couches, Nora armchairs, and Oscar lounge collection. Examples of these pieces are the Plinto dining tables and the René living room sofas. In addition to the retail area, this new Meridiani location provides workspaces, conference spaces, and a comprehensive material library.
In response to this exciting new location in the Milan fashion area, Meridiani has opened its first flagship shop in New York, which is ideally located on Lexington Avenue and 32nd Street in the city’s design center. This move furthers the brand’s rapid consolidation. The new Meridiani retail location, which is scheduled to open at the end of October and feature both the newest arrivals as well as the most iconic collections of the 100% made-in-Italy company, is a critical milestone for the brand’s growth in the American market.
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