In Connecting Experiences, Michele De Lucchi will reinterpret Poltrona Frau’s Milan flagship according to his vision of this new typology. The space – divided into several nodes promoting communication, work and leisure – will be open to the public throughout the week for visitors to work, relax and attend lectures and workshops with Poltrona Frau’s designers and collaborators. The zones Michele De Lucchi has mapped out will include: a large co-working space with complimentary Wi-Fi and Apple products such as MacBook Air, iMac and iPad Pro; a conference room for meetings and conversations; a reading room for individual study; a space to relax, unwind and listen to music curated by Rolling Stone; and a coffee bar to refuel. A dedicated workshop area will host lectures and workshops on topics ranging from sustainability to privacy from architects Roberto Palomba, Alberto Lievore and Pietro Gottardi, alongside students from IED. A cinema will show a program of design-related films and documentaries. An exhibition space featuring Michele De Lucchi’s renderings, models and research will be on display introduce visitors to his Earth Stations project. Within the palazzo’s interior courtyard, a pavilion will be built that echoes the form of an Earth Station.
The orthogonal plan of the former palazzo will be softened by a wooden ‘double skin’, creating a fluid transition between each zone while allowing for moments of enclosed privacy. A genuine connection with the environment is an essential part of the Connecting Experiences concept: trees and plant life will be interspersed throughout the space, connecting man to the natural world.
For the installation, Poltrona Frau have pulled a selection of classic and recent designs to animate Michele De Lucchi’s vision. The historic furniture brand’s carefully designed workplace systems meld perfectly with the Connecting Experiences concept: Roberto Lazzeroni’s handcrafted leather Fred chair and desk set, Lievore – Altherr – Park’s customisable office system, Trust, which comprises desks, self-supporting walls and storage units, and Foster + Partners’ brilliant Cove lounge chair will define the work-focused zones.
Iconic pieces such as Renzo Frau’s Chester One sofa from 1912, Ludovica and Roberto Palomba’s deeply relaxing Let it Be sectional and Jean-Marie Massaud’s elegant GranTorino modular seating will inspire tranquillity in the leisure areas.
“I am pleased to be partnering with Poltrona Frau for Connecting Experiences to present, for the first time, my Earth Station project. Over the past seven years of our collaborations, we have grown and learned together. Their enthusiasm to explore new areas of design research has fuelled this project and I look forward to many more years of working alongside Poltrona Frau,” Michele De Lucchi says of the project.
“We are delighted for this partnership with aMDL that testifies a fruitful cooperation of many years with our Brand. We believe Earth Stations is the ideal the vehicle through which Poltrona Frau can explore the many and different areas covered by its activities and represent in an innovative way its solutions for home and working environments, public spaces and hospitality areas.” says Nicola Coropulis, General Manager of Poltrona Frau.
