showrooms Archives

Promotion: Swiss furniture brand Vitra is expanding its European presence through a programme of showroom openings in renovated, distinctive historic buildings.

The brand, which is known for high-end office and home furniture by leading designers, has embarked on a programme of showroom expansion and renovation to add to its global presence.

“All Vitra showrooms reflect an agile and flexible platform to showcase our office and home concepts, including both Vitra and Artek,” said the brand.

“We are keen to present the collaboration and synergies with our partners in spaces designed for communal work, activities and events.”

It has recently opened or renovated showrooms in Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Oslo and Stockholm.

Vitra’s latest showroom opened last month in Oslo. Set within a 1930s metal factory in the resurgent Skøyen district, the understated interior was designed to contrast the industrial structure and set the base for the brand’s curated furniture collections.

The space contains offices for Vitra local staff and also functions as a place for the brand to host architects and designers.

Vitra Madrid showroom — It also opened a showroom in renovated building in Madrid

Earlier this year in Madrid’s bustling Salamanca district, Vitra opened a showroom within a 1920s art nouveau building originally designed by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios as a power supply facility for the city’s metro system.

The space was renovated by Spanish studio Carlos Manzano Arquitectos to create a bright and open space that showcases many of the building’s original features.

Topped by a distinctive steel and glass roof, the space combines office space for Vitra’s Madrid staff along with a showroom space, Vitra Colour & Material Library and a Task Chair Lab.

“One of our main goals was to peel off added elements to reveal the beauty of the spacious interior,” said Till Weber, creative director interiors and scenography.

“We also tried to maintain as much as possible of the original structure. For example, we tore out an entire kitchen installed by the former tenant to reveal wonderfully preserved brick walls.”

Vitra Amsterdam showroom — Its Amsterdam showroom overlooks the city’s port

In Amsterdam, Vitra recently opened another showroom on the dockside in the city’s Houthavens district within an old industrial munitions complex.

Vitra’s Amsterdam home was designed by London-based interiors studio SevilPeach, which was shortlisted for interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.

Described as “breathtaking” by Vitra chairman Rolf Fehlbaum, the pared-back space features several showrooms, a shop, offices, canteen, a workshop and warehouse spaces.

Vitra showroom in Shoreditch — Vitra’s London showroom opened in the Tramshed in Shoreditch

In London, Vitra recently opened a showroom in another heritage building – the Grade II-listed Tramshed in Shoreditch.

Originally built as a power station for the East London Tramway in 1905, the building was renovated to draw attention to its original features including the central roof light.

Along with the showroom openings, Vitra also recently renovated its Stockholm showroom. The brand also has European showrooms in Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague and Paris as well as outside Europe in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.

Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flagship store — The Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus is its flagship store

The target audience for Vitra’s showrooms are B2B professionals, dealers, artists and designers. For its private clients, Vitra caters via its authorised dealer network and its own online shops.

Additionally, there is the Vitra Campus in Weil Am Rhein in Germany, which contains the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flagship store.

“The VitraHaus is a unique building that we have been working on for more than a decade,” said Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra.

“During this time, we have learned more about the building and about interiors in general: what does the building want? What suits it? What are the recipes for a good room? What is missing from our collection to make an interior even more meaningful or appealing? The interior we have now created reflects our answers to these questions and it is an ongoing project.”

Vitra creative director interiors and scenography Till Weber said: “In addition to the Vitra Campus, the Vitra brand should also be tangible and visible at a local level.”

“Depending on the location and surroundings there is a tailored concept, different colour scheme, a different product selection – but the Vitra DNA can always be experienced.”

Find out more about Vitra’s showrooms on its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Vitra as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Interior Design

Lissoni Architecture creates New York showroom with “melting pot attitude”

By Zarkon Group,18/03/2024

Local studio Lissoni Architecture has expanded the Design Holding flagship in New York City, creating an entirely new floor outfitted with light displays and curving metallic installations.

Lissoni Architecture, the US branch of Italian studio Lissoni & Partners, created an entirely new second floor and redesigned a portion of the first floor for the Design Holding showroom, which displays furniture and lighting brands including B&B Italia, Flos, Louis Poulsen, Maxalto, Arclinea and Azucena.

Lighting and design elements from the brands were distributed across the second-floor space, spread out amongst vertical stone-clad panels, transparent, metal showcases, and curving chrome benches and walls.

Each area of the floor was dedicated to a specific brand and the interior architecture was tailored to each brand’s identity, according to the studio.

Red chair in showroom — The project encompasses a new second floor and an expansion and redesign of the first

“We wanted to share the melting pot attitude of New York City where everyone and everything can blend together holistically so we went to the essence of the iconic brands,” said Lissoni Architecture founder Piero Lissoni.

“[We highlighted] their DNA and proposed a common ground that could host and enhance the design codes of each identity.”

A wall of lights and windows — The studio created dedicated areas for brands including Flos and B&B Italia

For lighting brand Flos, the studio created a series of display cases backed by a transparent mesh. A magnetized, geometric Bilboquet light by designer Philippe Malouin is on display, as well as the Almendra chandelier affixed with almond-shaped flakes by Patricia Urquiola.

A testing room for clients was also created for the brand, which consists of a curved, metal wall that meets a series of angled panels that act as an entrance for the room.

Tables in a showroom — The various displays were informed by the “melting pot” attitude of New York City

Another corner of the floor was dedicated to the display of the Skynest chandelier by Marcel Wanders, which resembles an inverted basket interlaced with cords of light.

Displays for Flos and Louis Poulsen consist of inserted panels and curving planting beds that are populated with a number of lighting fixtures from both brands.

A room with a curving metal wall — Metallic panels, warm wood, and dark cladding were used throughout the second-floor space

Dark, metal cladding used in the Flos displays contrasts the off-white and beiges used throughout the Louis Poulsen space, but both flank a B&B Italia lounge that sits at the centre of the floor, which features a bright-red chair from the Up series by Gaetano Pesce.

A B&B Italia wardrobe was also created for the showroom, which sits next to an Arclinea kitchen display.

A black ash finish was used to clad a large cabinet unit, which sits behind a Thea island topped with a quartz waterfall countertop.

Lighting by Louis Poulsen, including the Patera Oval pendant by designer Øivind Slaatt, was tucked into the furthest corner of the space, with pieces distributed amongst wooden tables and a low-lying display unit.

A show room with white furniture — A separate entrance leads to a Maxalto space on the first floor

On the first floor, a new space dedicated to Maxalto is accessible through a separate entrance, with pieces such as the brand’s Arbiter sofa system positioned against walls clad in black.

Design Holding, a global retailer founded in 2018, recently added furniture brands Menu, By Lassen and Brdr Petersen to its portfolio after an agreement with Denmark-based company Designers Company.

Piero Lissoni announced the founding of the US branch of his studio last year, saying that the US has become more “open-minded” in terms of architecture.

The photography is courtesy Design Holding.

Reference

Interior Design

Isern Serra completes “serene” office for eyewear brand Gigi Studios

By Zarkon Group,13/03/2024

Sculptural custom-made furniture adds artistic flourishes to this otherwise minimal showroom and head office, designed by Spanish interiors studio Isern Serra for eyewear brand Gigi Studios.

Isern Serra was tasked with creating a holistic scheme for the 900-square-metre headquarters, occupying one floor of a building in the town of Sant Cugat del Vallès just north of Barcelona.

Isern Serra has filled the Gigi Studios headquarters with custom furniture

The brief called for a design that creates a sense of spaciousness and comfort while reflecting founder Patricia Remo’s vision of Gigi Studios as a brand.

“It is also serene, warm and elegant and conceptually close to the idea of a studio and away from the concept of a traditional office, without losing the practicality and functionality,” Isern Serra explained.

Rows of desks were replaced with more intimate work areas

The building’s rectangular floor plan features a central service core housing the lifts and toilets, with the workspaces, meeting rooms, kitchen and showroom occupying the surrounding O-shaped open space.

Serra and his team positioned the kitchen and showroom at one end of the plan and placed the meeting rooms and client areas at the other, leaving the longer sides open to optimise circulation.

Concrete bases for the work tables were cast in situ

Various bespoke furniture pieces, conceived by Isern Serra as “small works of art”, bring a distinct personality to the different formal and informal spaces.

These interventions were designed to embody Gigi Studios’ design ethos while standing out against the warm and minimal backdrop.

“The project aims to experiment with the limits of the workspace and seek a new concept that goes hand in hand with the idea of domus and museum,” Isern Serra explained.

Curtains can be used to cordon off the lounge area

A large circular sofa framed in stainless steel provides a bold statement in one of the reception areas.

The sculptural piece fulfils a dual function as a seating area and a space for working, with tables and book storage integrated into the backrest around the perimeter.

Similarly, the building’s central core is wrapped in a layer of built-in storage units including circular stainless-steel niches that incorporate shelves for displaying books and materials.

Rather than a typical office layout with rows of workstations, the large open spaces are separated into more intimate zones with a more domestic scale.

A Boa Pouf by Sabine Marcelis provides informal seating

Next to the lobby is a design area featuring tables made from concrete that was cast in situ. Task seating surrounds the work table and a taller table is accompanied by stools, while lenses for the different glasses are stored in a custom-made unit.

The second workspace features a large C-shaped sofa with a concrete base that was also cast in situ. Custom-made tables and one of Sabine Marcelis’s Boa Poufs complete this lounge-style space, which can be visually separated from the rest of the office using curtains on either side.

The showroom is visible from the office through a circular window

A circular window with rounded edges provides a glimpse of the showroom, which is dominated by two sculptural tables with concrete tops supported by rough chunks of travertine stone.

A built-in tiered display is used to highlight different Gigi Studios’ eyewear. The rest of the collection is housed in a backlit cabinet, while a mirror-fronted unit conceals a large screen used for presentations.

The kitchen is located next to the showroom so that the two spaces can easily be used together for events. Here, a homely, Mediterranean feel is created via a five-metre-long sharing table, custom-made alongside the accompanying stools.

Display tables in the showroom are held up by rough chunks of travertine

The sizeable kitchen island is finished in micro-cement and features a curved base that enhances its sculptural presence.

A curved corridor incorporating a sofa niche on one wall provides access to offices and a meeting room positioned to have the best views of the surrounding countryside.

Internal columns are used to support one end of concrete tables built in each of the workspaces, furnished with classic designs including Marcel Breuer’s Wassily and Cesca chairs.

Large sharing tables allow for communal eating in the kitchen

Interior designer Isern Serra founded his self-titled studio in Barcelona in 2008 and works across architecture, interiors and industrial design.

Previous projects including a rose-coloured shop for Barcelona’s Moco Museum that was based on a computer-generated image and a minimalist office for digital artist Andrés Reisinger, which was named small workplace interior of the year at the 2023 Dezeen Awards.

The photography is by Salva López with art direction by Aasheen Mittal.

Reference

Dining table with eight round-backed chairs, and a light fixture above

Interior Design

Pierre Yovanovitch opens design gallery in New York City penthouse

By Zarkon Group,17/12/2023

French designer Pierre Yovanovitch has opened his first US showroom and gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, displaying over 80 pieces from his own furniture brand.

Recognisable designs including the iconic Bear Chair fill the 10,000 square feet (930 square metres) of gallery and office space on the penthouse level of 555 West 25th Street.

This business expansion offers a permanent base for Yovanovitch and his team in New York, and allows customers and clients from his largest retail market to see the Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier products first-hand.

“Having worked on residential projects in the US since the beginning of my practice in 2001 and with two successful furniture collection debuts (2017 and 2019) in New York, the opening of my first gallery space in America and new official New York headquarters, is a long-awaited realization for me,” said Yovanovitch.

Room with exposed ceiling beams, whitewashed brick and dark wood floors — The exposed ceiling beams, whitewashed brick and dark wood floors are all typical of a New York loft

Inside the pre-war building, the gallery unfolds through a series of partial rooms that flow into one another without doorways or thresholds.

Throughout, exposed ceiling joists and ductwork are paired with dark wood flooring and whitewashed brick, typical of a New York loft space.

Furniture pieces styled like a living room — The gallery is laid out as a series of residential-style vignettes, which flow into one another

The largest display area centres around a sculptural fireplace, with a smooth plaster form that curves outward towards the base.

Furniture is oriented around the hearth, including a gently arced sofa and a chartreuse-toned resin coffee table, accompanied by the fluffy wing-backed Clifford armchair.

Wooden dining table with glass light above — Yovanovitch curated a selection of artworks to accompany his furniture pieces

A variety of lounge and dining room vignettes showcase the products in suggested combinations with one another in residential-style layouts.

Other designs on show include the new Callis Table Lamp, the Roze Dining Table, the Arthur Sofa and the Artemis Rug.

Living room vignette facing a fireplace — A variety of signature furniture and lighting designs are on display alongside new pieces

All are made in collaboration with specialist craftspeople and are “created with longevity and exceptional quality in mind” according to the brand.

“The brand pays homage to Yovanovitch’s Provencal roots, in particular the region’s natural light, rich and varied natural materials and colourways of the surrounding nature, as well as the historic commitment to craft associated with the region,” said a statement from the gallery.

The wide array of furniture and lighting pieces are presented alongside a selection of contemporary art curated by Yovanovitch – including works by Camille Henrot, Wolfgang Tillmans and Alicja Kwade – in an attempt to tie the gallery in with Chelsea’s status as an arts destination.

“It seems only fitting to open my first gallery location in the epicenter of New York’s art scene,” he said. “Not only is contemporary art central to my design practice, the neighborhood’s architectural history serves as reflection to my approach of revitalising historic spaces to fit a contemporary design aesthetic.”

Long dining table with blue and white upholstered chairs — All of the Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier products are “created with longevity and exceptional-quality in mind”

The New York gallery opening follows the debut of the brand’s new Paris showroom, which began welcoming visitors to a street-level space in the Marais neighbourhood from October 2023.

This move from the previous location in the 2nd arrondissement also strategically places Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier amongst the city’s art galleries.

Sculptural fireplace accompanied by Pierre Yovanovitch's iconic Bear Chair — A sculptural fireplace anchors the largest area, accompanied by Yovanovitch’s Clifford chair

Yovanovitch founded his design practice in 2001 after working for fashion house Pierre Cardin. His interior design work has ranged from the salmon-pink and butter-yellow gift shop at Villa Noailles and ski hotel Le Coucou in France, to the high-end Hélène Darroze restaurant at The Connaught in London and ski hotel Le Coucou.

Earlier this year, the designer created a set with moving elements for Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Basel Opera.

The photography is by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Reference

showrooms

Vitra extends European presence with showroom openings

Lissoni Architecture creates New York showroom with “melting pot attitude”

Isern Serra completes “serene” office for eyewear brand Gigi Studios

Pierre Yovanovitch opens design gallery in New York City penthouse

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