Tadao Ando defines Duvetica showroom in Milan with inclined cement wall. In 2011, Tadao Ando designed the milan flagship store for Duvetica. Now, three years later in celebration of its tenth anniversary the Venetian company, specializing in featherlight down jackets, has once again asked the Japanese architect to realize a new Milan showroom for them, as well as an extension to the previous retail space he conceived for them in via Santo Spirito, 22.

Located in via Senato 41A, Tadao Ando has defined the pre-existing space of the retail program by an inclined and curved cement wall – measuring 12 meters long, over 7 meters high and 20 centimeters deep – that vertically divides the two floors of the 240 square meter interior, revealed by a wide window positioned at the main entrance. The ground floor houses offices along with the women’s wear and children’s collections, with the full Duvetica color range displayed in the main room; while the menswear is found on the lower level. in wanting to restore and preserve most of the original structure, the surviving wooden coffered ceilings and fixtures have been reused where possible.

Throughout Duvetica’s spaces, the colors grey and white play a dominant role. This is seen in the Milan showroom through the industrial cement floors with quartz dredging, wall finishes in Venetian pressed marmorino, furnishings in pearl grey Corian® and grey coated natural wood; with lighting conceived to highlight the linear geometrical shapes which characterize the showroom and the products on display. Outside of the architecture, Tadao Ando has also created a concrete table which is positioned within the meeting room opposite the offices.

Pphotography Orsenigo Chemollo
Design by Tadao Ando

http://www.designboom.com/architecture/tadao-ando-duvetica-showroom-milan-via-senato-06-14-2014/