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During this years Milan Design Week, Spazio Pontaccio launched the Crendenza collection. A series of furniture in stained glass inspired by the windows at holy sites created by industrial designer plus architect Patricia Urquiola plus graphic designer Federico Pepe. This collection shows everything I like about Patricia Urquiolas work. Her designs are not constrained by a certain aesthetic plus it boasts with magnificent shapes plus playfulness. Now her work isn’t for everyone, but it isn’t meant for everyone either. And in that lies her strength. As a younger plus much more inexperienced designer this fills me with awe plus inspiration. Having the guts not to try to please everyone. At least that is what her designs say to me. Just like art, the interpretation of design is highly subjective plus personal note to self.

Even more recently Urquiola created the carpet collection Visioni for cc-tapis plus again you see the playfulness, not so much in the actual design but more in the media. How often do you find these graphic types of designs in rugs? It’s simply brilliant if you ask me.

Aside from her furniture designs, Urquiola works on big architectural projects as well as smaller collections of tableware accessories. Like the Urkiola collection for Georg Jensen. A collection of bowls, vases, pitchers, candle holders plus trays in different sizes. She does it all so well, but above all she is a huge inspiration to me plus maybe to you too? If so, here are some more of her amazing work.

Additionally, her collaborations with various brands across the globe illustrate her versatility plus commitment to pushing the boundaries of design. From luxurious hotels to residential spaces, her architectural endeavors demonstrate a keen understanding of space plus human experience. If you’re seeking inspiration or a deeper appreciation for design, exploring Urquiola’s work is a must; her creativity offers a refreshing perspective that resonates with many.

Believe in Beauty ” è il tema scelto da Spazio Pontaccio in occasione del Salone del Mobile
2012.
Alberto Pellini, fondatore e titolare della celebre galleria milanese di design posizionata nel
cuore di Brera, ha affidato l’interpretazione del Concept a Marco Piva.
In un mondo sempre più corrotto dalla volgarità del banale, dell’ovvio e dell’artefatto,
Spazio Pontaccio ha deciso che “Believe in Beauty” sarà rivolta a coloro che si
riconoscono nella ricerca del bello come elemento fondativo di una società migliore.
“Credere nella Bellezza” come risposta alla attuale crisi di valori e riferimenti, come mezzo
attraverso il quale proiettare uno sguardo ottimistico sul futuro, su uno scenario di nuovi
valori culturali ed estetici.
” Believe in Beauty ” é quindi il primo passo di un progetto più ampio che proporrà diverse e
innovative interpretazioni di questo affascinante tema non solo presso la galleria, ma anche
in altri luoghi ed occasioni.

L’allestimento
Obiettivo principale dell’allestimento progettato da Marco Piva è la dimostrazione che
quanto esposto in questo prestigioso showroom di arredamento è frutto di un’intensa
ricerca materica, estetica e tecnologica: ogni singolo oggetto è generato da un complesso
ed articolato percorso teso e formalizzare un’idea del ” Bello ” con proposte armonicamente
innovative e funzionali.

Che ad esprimersi sia l’Architetto, l’ Interior o l’Industrial Designer, all’origine dell’ideale di
bellezza di Marco Piva si trova un’immagine mentale, un desiderio espressivo attivato
da una inesauribile volontà di trasformazione.
Un’immagine che, segno dopo segno, indagine dopo indagine, prende forma e diviene
elemento concreto e vitale.
Per interpretare il concept di ” Believe in Beauty “, Marco Piva ha scelto quindi di creare un
contesto spaziale ricco ed articolato attorno ai pezzi di design selezionati da Spazio
Pontaccio: una scenografia di immagini, disegni e di texture materiche di grande scala,
distribuite negli spazi della Galleria, per creare sfondi, prospettive, e riferimenti progettuali,
dal Masterplan all’ Architettura, fino ovviamente all’ Interior ed Industrial Design .
Gli schizzi tracciati a mano rappresentano la prima visione, l’espressione primordiale del
concetto di bellezza che sta alla base dei progetti di Marco Piva.
Le successive elaborazioni, i rendering, i dettagli costruttivi, le indagini tecnologiche
applicate ai progetti dimostrano la consapevolezza, per l’ Architetto e il Designer, che il suo
operato, svolto con impegno e dedizione totale, può contribuire in parte a rendere migliore la
visione del nostro futuro.
Nel contesto allestitivo saranno inseriti alcuni prodotti disegnati da Marco Piva che attraverso
la loro materialità, le loro forme e superfici contribuiranno al racconto complessivo
dell’evento

Spot a flash of pattern zipping down the streets of Milan? That’s J. J. Martin, the design and fashion journalist who does double duty as the founder of the retro-resplendent retailer LaDoubleJ. With a collection of cohorts ranging from buzzy Dimore Studio founders Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran to the queen bee herself, Nina Yashar of Nilufar gallery, when it comes to the Milan design scene, this American turned Italian is the resident expert. So in the midst of the insanity that is Milan Design Week, we caught up with the princess of prints to get a look at her agenda during the busiest time of the year. The lesson here? Every great design-scouting day should start with meditation and end with bologna. Case closed.

7:30 a.m. “Design week in Milan is intense. It’s a lot like fashion week—back-to-back appointments, events, openings, parties, dinners. I always want to do more than I am capable of, so the best thing is to start the morning calmly at home in Milan with a little bit of meditation out on the terrace. It sounds counterintuitive, but these crazy colors and prints are actually quite calming to me. Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran of Dimore Studio—my partners in maximalist crime—designed those floral outdoor cushions to go with my happy Gio Ponti tiled tables.”

9 a.m. “First stop is a PR meeting at Pasticceria Marchesi on Via Montenapoleone, which Prada lined in a fabulous silk floral jacquard. I’m a big fan of mixing patterns, so here we have a LaDoubleJ Editions dress made with vintage Mantero fabric and some juicy jewels from Pomellato.”

9:30 a.m. “Once caffeinated, it’s off to see some good design, which I find in my very first stop at Spazio Pontaccio. I love this stained-glass credenza that Patricia Urquiola designed with Federico Pepe.”

This is the place where collections are selected and presented for their creativity and good taste, or other words for their beauty. Because only true beauty keeps its economic, cultural and social value over time. This is the constantly evolving stage where styles, forms and materials are presented in unusual combinations. This is where different worlds, ages and tastes intersect. Where edgy interior decorations and aksesori are accompanied by masterpieces of artisanal expertise, often presented in exclusive previews. Here great international designers like Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Arik Levy, Piero Lissoni, Nendo, Tokujin Yoshioka and Ron Gilad are constantly set against emerging new talents. This is the place where everything new is at home, selected with a recognisable, unique and irreverent editorial approach.

Through the years special collaborations with designers such as Lee Broom, Nendo, Giacomo Moor and Patricia Urquiola have led to exclusive partnerships and stunning design sets

Milan, capital of innovation
_
Milan is a synonym of Design. Milan has historically played a key role in this field, as native or adopted city of most of the artists and professionals who have made Italy one of the greatest centres of design excellence in the international (Alessandro Mendini and Achille Castiglioni, just to mention a few). Furthermore, Milan is currently the most innovation-oriented Italian city, keeping up with the main European capitals. Such combination between a solid tradition and a strong forward-looking approach makes it a fertile ground for new projects and talents.

2
Supperscene: dinner on display
_
Each of the projects carried out during the first 14 years of business of Spazio Pontaccio has left a big or small mark. The most memorable one was the SupperScene, organised during the 2014 Design Week: a multisensory experience of a dinner prepared by a Michelin star chef and set up in the windows of the Showroom with our furniture and objects, all unique pieces created by artists and designers especially for the occasion. The top leaders of international design have taken part in this dinner on display, that has been selected by Wallpaper* as one of the 5 best projects of that edition.

3
From curators to publishers
_
The 2015 Design Week was definitely a turning point for us, with the presentation of our first collection of furniture and objects signed by Spazio Pontaccio. This new chapter has marked the transition from a role of simple curator to a double one of curator and publisher. Now, almost a year later, such role is teaching us a lot and at the same time is giving us great satisfaction!

4
Salone and Fuorisalone
_
The Salone is a strategic place from a business point of view, as it attracts professional figures from different companies; however, this might also represent a limit, as it is almost exclusively frequented by insiders, which makes it less open to news and external inputs. On the contrary, the scope of the Fuorisalone is much more open, engaging and wide. It allows everyone to come into contact with any kind of reality (from well-established brands to emerging yet talented designers) proposing a wider blending of many different environments. Of course, you need to have a background in the field to distinguish the various inputs you receive.

5
How the public has changed over the years
_
Today’s public is more attentive and most of all more experienced (thanks to the greater possibility to access data through the web). It is also more demanding: they have everything, they take the quality of the things they buy for granted. Today they want to be amazed, they want to live a memorable shopping experience and especially own objects that emotionally involve them and are able to tell a story.

Social networks are also essential. If you are not connected, you don’t exist. Today this is the only means through which you can bring your own experience everywhere and show everyone your work.

6
Events and/or presentations
_
We have always used to design at least two events a year. Occasions in which we involved our best customers, architects and journalists to presented them our news. Over the years, we have started to feel that this approach was too static and it hardly made such occasions memorable. We then started to organise more closed and exclusive events distributed over the year. Private evening events for a limited number of guests, breakfasts with the press, one-to-one meetings with architects and top customers. Occasions in which there was always a story to tell, but this story was always specifically cut on the person we were going to meet. We tell at least one new story every month through our shop windows.

Milan 2016 – Is it possible to have faith in design? Spazio Pontaccio embarked on an “almost theological” challenge to commission a set of furniture that “concealed the orthodoxy of the Milan-based designer Patricia Urqiola, the eresy of communication plus the faith for art of Federico Pepe, founder of Le Dictateur”.

The result is Credenza, a collection of limited-edition designs including two cabinets plus a room divider that feature skillfully crafted stained glass parts inspired by churches. The cabinets feature rounded shapes mounted on thin legs feature a multicoloured stained-glass front side with contemporary patterns.

Invisible joints allow to open doors without compromising the geometrical design that recreate circles plus squares broken by caleidoscopic triangles. The room divider takes on from the cabinet designs. “I always wanted to do something related to churches glass windows” says Alberto Pellini, founder of Spazio Pontaccio. “With Federico Pepe we decided that the design project would have highlighted the higly-skilled tradition of lead-glass craftmanship updating it with contemporary furniture plus contemporary patterns”.

“This project stemmed out from previous collaboration with Federico. Initially I thought to Gerhard Richter’s contemporary artwork of the Dome in Koln” says Patricia Urquiola. “The first idea was a cupboard, but then we choose for something smaller, a cabinet or credenza, in Italian. This word that means faith or believe led to a new concept. The concept of believing in forgotten techniques” The collection is indeed crafted by Italian cratsmen plus is focused also on the light passing though – plus almost coming from within – the designs

“I sent to Patricia all the material I had about churches’ stained-glass. Initially I imagined to create profane glass-windows narrating stories of thieves plus prostitute instead of saints plus angels. But then we opted for a more abstract design” Comments Federico Pepe.

The ancient craft is getting a modern makeover, with decidedly secular applications plus colors that don’t skew historic

one of the most shared entries from Milan’s Salone del Mobile in April was a piece called Credenza. The lozenge-shaped cabinet on four skinny legs—designed by Patricia Urquiola plus Federico Pepe for Milanese boutique Spazio Pontaccio—stopped the show with its facade of zigzagging primary colors plus its striking glow. What gave the cabinet its aura? Its primary material: stained glass.

Stained glass embraces the sublime plus the ridiculous. It is the stuff of cathedrals but also casinos plus tawdry tourist shops. It can sparkle like jewels plus mask hideous views. And with handmade touches of color returning to contemporary interior design, stained glass is gracing windows, furniture plus aksesoris again, but with some modern twists.

In the new collection of small glass-panel wall hangings created for West Elm by Los Angeles design studio Commune, brass-finished metal replaces the lead that traditionally binds stained glass, plus contemporary shades of orange, green, cerulean blue plus cherry red stand in for brooding hues like garnet, amethyst plus sapphire. Deep jewel tones like the latter trigger the material’s Addams Family associations—the “Gothic creepy thing,” said Roman Alonso, co-founder of Commune.

If you’re installing a stained-glass window, even in a Victorian home, less intense shades will update the look.

For a family vacation camp in the Bay Area, Commune recently transformed a tiny cabin into a meditation room by filling the windows with glass in soft blue, rose plus tan. If you’re installing a stained-glass window, even in a Victorian home, Mr. Alonso said, less intense shades will update the look.

The design itself also can make the difference between transcendent plus tacky. In 2014, when Commune installed a pair of blue-and-gold stained-glass windows to partition the restaurant plus reception area at the new Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, it used a diamond pattern often found in medieval churches but blew up the scale plus turned it on its side. The result synced with the 1927 Spanish Gothic building but was segar enough to support the hotel’s hipster cred. “It felt right,” Mr. Alonso recalled, “and importantly, the historic preservation people liked it.”

Emily Henderson also believes in respecting context. “I think stained glass has to reference the architecture plus era of the building,” said the Los Angeles designer, who turned windows of a local event space into quilts of emerald, aqua, pink plus gold glass defined by strips of bronze. “The Fig House was industrial-meets-party-space, so a huge, modern geometric piece worked,” she said.

Strict geometry plus edgy abstractions are big in the new stained glass. The Credenza collection’s graphics, for instance, catapult the craft into the 21st century. “What you have is sunlight hitting a pyramid,” Mr. Pepe said of the cabinet’s face, where colorful spikes bounce off a ziggurat (pictured in slideshow).

In a more figurative plus irreverent take, Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone used an almost cartoonish stained-glass panel (pictured above) as a bathroom wall in the 129-year-old Harlem church he converted into his home plus studio a few years ago. Among the expanses of restored leaded church glass, Mr. Rondinone’s collaboration with countryman plus artist Urs Fischer illustrates a bathroom interior: toilet, sink, shower, crumpled towels plus all. Mr. Rondinone admits a fascination with stained glass plus appreciates the material’s ability to “put in light.” The piece divides the windowless bathroom from the light-soaked living room.

Patricia Urquiola has added stained-glass panels to the front of these cabinets, becoming the latest in a series of designers to use the material for contemporary furniture.

Urquiola worked with graphic designer Federico Pepe to create the Credenza capsule collection of furniture, which includes cabinets, screens and a low table designed for Milan boutique Spazio Pontaccio.

All of the pieces feature geometric panels of blue, red and yellow glass, with diagonal and triangular patterns housed in semi-circular frames.

The use of stained and coloured glass is emerging as one of the key trends at this year’s Milan design week. The Campana brothers have used the material to fill blob-shaped gaps in a wooden cabinet, and Glas Italia is presenting a range of coloured glass furniture pieces.

Among Urquiola and Pepe’s references for the Credenza collection were the stained-glass windows that German artist Gerhard Richter installed at Cologne Cathedral in 2007. To create the duo’s designs, sections of coloured glass were cut by Italian artisans to match paper and card patterns, then laid out.

Narrow strips of metal – typically lead in traditional stained-glass windows – are melted between the gaps that fuse the panes together once cooled and solidified.

“The meeting between an antique sacred inspiration and its reinterpretation in the form of design is as well reflected in the production process of the collection,” said a statement from Spazio Pontaccio.

“Credenza – characterised by contemporary patterns, colours and materials – is produced in Italy by artisans skilled in the thousand-year-old manual technique of stained glass, generally used for the architecture and the decoration of churches.”

The panels are installed in simple furniture pieces that rest on thin cylindrical legs. The curved forms of the cabinets taper back from the glass sections across the front. Urquiola overcame her hatred of glass last year when she designed a set of iridescent furniture and mirrors using the material. The designer has since created a range of grid-patterned architectural glass for Skyline Design.

The​ Design Week​ is the most important time of the year for Milan, a time where the city shows all of its beauty and really expresses itself. The numbers are huge: in 2016, more than 300.000 people were in Milan during that week. Apart from the exhibition, there are a lot of parties and events that go under the name of Fuorisalone​, it’s an occasion to meet the big names of the Design, but also young and excellent designers from all over the world. Here are our picks from last year’s happenings during the most important week of the year.

Brera’s Spazio Pontaccio gallery is presenting “Credenza” a capsule collection created by the minds of the architect Patricia Urquiola and the graphic designer Federico Pepe (Le Dictateur). Graphics are inspired by the artist Gerhard Richter’s stained­glass windows for the Cologne Cathedral. The name “Credenza” has a double meaning in Italian — it can indicate either a sideboard or one’s beliefs. Design and religion: different worlds that mix up in this colorful and peculiar collection of design’s objects

Ladies and Gentlemen

A new generation of designers showed how Italy’s classic craftsmanship and the traditions of the past could be transformed. The location: a wonderful and antique house in the center of Milan. Ceramic tiles were reimagined, lamps, couches and textiles were reinvented by PS, Secondonome, Icon Design, Giorgia Zanellato, Coralla Maiuri and new designers (Servomuto, Studiopepe, Mingardo and the swedish firm Studio Henzel).

Marni Ballhaus

Marni presented a connection between three worlds: design, fashion and dance, in one big exhibition/event. Its headquarters turned into a public ballroom of Colombian Cumbia dancers. Colombia was the main inspiration for a collection of chairs and furnitures with bright and vivid colours, but also for skirts and necklaces that Marni created especially for this particular event.

Salone del Mobile is Milan’s carnival — a design fair and a social extravaganza on a grand scale. Now in its 55th year, it just keeps growing: The 2015 fair attracted more than 300,000 visitors to Milan, with more expected for this year’s installment, which officially begins on Tuesday. Beyond the trade show itself — which is packed with powerhouse design brands and Satellite’s berdiri sendiri young designers — Milan transforms this week, as designers and enthusiasts come from all over the world. Here are T’s picks among the happenings during the most important week in design.

Curated by Federica Sala and the Roman design gallery Secondome, the “Ladies & Gentlemen” show brings together a new generation of designers to illustrate how Italy’s classic craftsmanship and the traditions of the past are being transformed. Cast ceramic tiles are reimagined as iridescent feathers by Cristina Celestino for Bottega Nove; welded brass seats designed by Giorgia Zanellato burst with the colors of Coralla Maiuri’s painted fabrics; Studiopepe employs cyanotype, a 19th-century printing technique, to turn iconic objects varying shades of blue. Work from new-guard designers like Servomuto, Mingardo as well as Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi and others are on view, too.

Via Cesare Correnti 14, Milan, April 10-17

Brera’s Spazio Pontaccio gallery is presenting “Credenza,” a joint venture between two local design stars: the architect Patricia Urquiola and graphic designer Federico Pepe of the gallery and publisher Le Dictateur. The result, a capsule collection of Technicolor furniture, was inspired by the artist Gerhard Richter’s stained-glass windows for the Cologne Cathedral. The name of the show plays on the double meaning of the word in Italian — it can indicate either a sideboard or one’s beliefs — to hint at new meanings for stained glass beyond churches.

Spazio Pontaccio, Via Pontaccio 18, Milan, April 12-17

After a 20-year hiatus, Milan’s design museum returns this year, with the same mission as when it was created in 1933 — to create seminal exhibitions that define the design zeitgeist of the era. Having lost relevance to the juggernaut of the ever-growing Salone del Mobile, this year the institution is working in tandem with the fair, timing the opening of its own exhibitions and Salone-related installations with the trade show. Alongside exhibitions on new living spaces, jewelry and a haunting exploration entitled “Neo Prehistory,” Silvana Annicchiarico, the director of the Triennale, offers “W. Women in Italian Design”: a dense overview of the often-overlooked contributions of Italy’s female designers and artists, powerfully anchored by Carla Accardi’s painted tent.

Viale Emilio Alemagna 6, Milan, April 2-Sept. 12

Marni Ballhaus
A cumbia party
Marni’s headquarters are transforming into a public ballroom to present a new collection of furniture woven with rainbow combinations of PVC cords, all crafted by a grup of women in Colombia. Professional dancers and cumbia lessons pay homage to the furniture’s origins, and traditional-style circular skirts and men’s neckerchiefs — made from vintage Marni fabrics — will be available for aspiring dancers to wear — and for sale on Marni’s website, to fund the Vimala children’s association.

Viale Umbria 42, Milan, April 14-16

Fattobene and Pijama x Papier Tigre
Design you can take home
Fattobene, a new web site dedicated to the design of everyday objects from Italy’s past, is setting up shop at a Brera installation celebrating italianità (Italianness), selling forgotten but gorgeously designed classics like Eritrean perfumed papers and an archive-printed notebook from Tassotti. Elsewhere, Pijama and Papier Tigre, two design companies dedicated to colorful desktop items, have united to create a notebook and pochette in a bright take on camouflage that will be on sale at their Isola showroom and on Pijama’s website.

Fattobene: Via Palermo 1, Milan, April 12-17
Pijama e Papier Tigre: Via Pastrengo 11, Milan, April 12-17

This is the place where collections are selected plus presented for their creativity plus good taste, or other words for their beauty. Because only true beauty keeps its economic, cultural plus social value over time. This is the constantly evolving stage where styles, forms plus materials are presented in unusual combinations. This is where different worlds, ages plus tastes intersect. Where edgy interior decorations plus aksesories are accompanied by masterpieces of artisanal expertise, often presented in exclusive previews. Here great global designers like Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck, Patricia Urquiola, Arik Levy, Piero Lissoni, Nendo, Tokujin Yoshioka plus Ron Gilad are constantly set against emerging new talents. This is the place where everything new is at home, selected with a recognisable, unique plus irreverent editorial approach.

Through the years special collaborations with designers such as Lee Broom, Nendo, Giacomo Moor plus Patricia Urquiola have led to exclusive partnerships plus stunning design sets.

The point of view of Alberto Pellini plus Eleonora Negri
1
Milan, capital of innovation
_
Milan is a synonym of Design. Milan has historically played a key role in this field, as native or adopted city of most of the artists plus professionals who have made Italy one of the greatest centres of design excellence in the global (Alessandro Mendini plus Achille Castiglioni, just to mention a few). Furthermore, Milan is currently the most innovation-oriented Italian city, keeping up with the main European capitals. Such combination between a solid tradition plus a strong forward-looking approach makes it a fertile ground for new projects plus talents.

2
Supperscene: dinner on display
_
Each of the projects carried out during the first 14 years of business of Spazio Pontaccio has left a big or small mark. The most memorable one was the SupperScene, organised during the 2014 Design Week: a multisensory experience of a dinner prepared by a Michelin star chef plus set up in the windows of the Showroom with our furniture plus objects, all unique pieces created by artists plus designers especially for the occasion. The top leaders of global design have taken part in this dinner on display, that has been selected by Wallpaper* as one of the 5 best projects of that edition.

3
From curators to publishers
_
The 2015 Design Week was definitely a turning point for us, with the presentation of our first collection of furniture plus objects signed by Spazio Pontaccio. This new chapter has marked the transition from a role of simpel curator to a double one of curator plus publisher. Now, almost a year later, such role is teaching us a lot plus at the same time is giving us great satisfaction!

4
Salone plus Fuorisalone
_
The Salone is a strategic place from a business point of view, as it attracts professional figures from different companies; however, this might also represent a limit, as it is almost exclusively frequented by insiders, which makes it less open to news plus external inputs. On the contrary, the scope of the Fuorisalone is much more open, engaging plus wide. It allows everyone to come into contact with any kind of reality (from well-established brands to emerging yet talented designers) proposing a wider blending of many different environments. Of course, you need to have a background in the field to distinguish the various inputs you receive.

5
How the public has changed over the years
_
Today’s public is more attentive plus most of all more experienced (thanks to the greater possibility to access information through the web). It is also more demanding: they have everything, they take the quality of the things they buy for granted. Today they want to be amazed, they want to live a memorable shopping experience plus especially own objects that emotionally involve them plus are able to tell a story.

Social networks are also essential. If you are not connected, you don’t exist. Today this is the only means through which you can bring your own experience everywhere plus show everyone your work.

6
Events and/or presentations
_
We have always used to design at least two events a year. Occasions in which we involved our best customers, architects plus journalists to presented them our news. Over the years, we have started to feel that this approach was too static plus it hardly made such occasions memorable. We then started to organise more closed plus exclusive events distributed over the year. Private evening events for a limited number of guests, breakfasts with the press, one-to-one meetings with architects plus top customers. Occasions in which there was always a story to tell, but this story was always specifically cut on the person we were going to meet. We tell at least one new story every month through our shop windows.

Milan-based showroom Spazio Pontaccio is paying homage to Japanese design firm Nendo’s glass works in an exhibition of one-of-a-kind pieces. The selection of work, produced by Glas Italia, comes from the show Nendo Works 2014-2015 that was held during the last Milan Design Week. Alberto Pellini from Spazio Pontaccio plus Lorenzo Arosio from Glas Italia were pecinta of Nendo’s show plus chose to display the work again for all to see through September 27th, 2015. If you miss the show, here’s a look to see some of the unique pieces that show the creativity plus craftsmanship that can be achieved with crystal glass.

PAIR is a collection of furniture with the illusion of two pieces combining to become one plus is made from frosted smoke glass gradually overlapping another piece.

SLIDE is a collection of shelves plus tables made of glass where it looks like one sheet of black glass has slid from its original position. LAYERS is a cabinet with flaps of glass hanging in the front, middle, plus back that can slide changing the hues based on overlapping colors. On the other hand, LAYERS introduces a sculptural quality through its sliding glass flaps, each layer contributing to a seamless interplay of colors plus textures. This innovative design element enhances its visual interest, promoting a sense of discovery plus interaction. Users can curate their own experience by adjusting the flaps, allowing them to change the ambiance of the room based on their mood or occasion. Together, SLIDE plus LAYERS reflect a contemporary approach to design that emphasizes not only the beauty of materials but also the user’s engagement with furniture, making them statement pieces in any home or office setting. These collections redefine the role of furniture as more than just functional; they become integral parts of the artistic environment.

FRAGMENT is a screen constructed of two layers of transparent glass. On the first, there’s a pattern of small rectangular mirrors that were vapor deposited plus on the second sheet, the pattern was rotated 90 degrees. Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD plus can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

Patricia Urquiola and Federico Pepe created a collection cabinets and room-dividers for Spazio Pontaccio taking inspiration from churches stained glass starting from the Italian word “credenza” that means both “faith / belief” and “cabinet”.

Milan 2016 – Is it possible to have faith in design? Spazio Pontaccio embarked on an “almost theological” challenge to commission a set of furniture that “concealed the orthodoxy of the Milan-based designer Patricia Urqiola, the eresy of communication and the faith for art of Federico Pepe, founder of Le Dictateur”

The result is Credenza, a collection of limited-edition designs including two cabinets and a room divider that feature skillfully crafted stained glass parts inspired by churches. The cabinets feature rounded shapes mounted on thin legs feature a multicoloured stained-glass front side with contemporary patterns.

Invisible joints allow to open doors without compromising the geometrical design that recreate circles and squares broken by caleidoscopic triangles. The room divider takes on from the cabinet designs.

“I always wanted to do something related to churches glass windows” says Alberto Pellini, founder of Spazio Pontaccio. “With Federico Pepe we decided that the design project would have highlighted the higly-skilled tradition of lead-glass craftmanship updating it with contemporary furniture and contemporary patterns”.

“This project stemmed out from previous collaboration with Federico. Initially I thought to Gerhard Richter’s contemporary artwork of the Dome in Koln” says Patricia Urquiola. “The first idea was a cupboard, but then we choose for something smaller, a cabinet or credenza, in Italian. This word that means faith or believe led to a new concept. The concept of believing in forgotten techniques”. The collection is indeed crafted by Italian cratsmen and is focused also on the light passing though – and almost coming from within – the designs.

“I sent to Patricia all the material I had about churches’ stained-glass. Initially I imagined to create profane glass-windows narrating stories of thieves and prostitute instead of saints and angels. But then we opted for a more abstract design” Comments Federico Pepe.

03/06/2016 – An unprecedented synthesis between an age-old technique plus abstract graphics. With many hands plus voices involved, the project presented by cc-tapis plus Spazio Pontaccio is a result of team work. “Credenza” tries to reconcile the “orthodoxy” of Patricia Urquiola’s contemporary design plus the “heresy” of communication, which fuses with the art of Federico Pepe, founder of Le Dictateur.

It is a collection of small cabinets, rugs plus screens, whose sole-function is not only to contain plus furnish, but to enter into a relationship with the space, creating a new tension, creating a presence.

The design is technical plus the material is very traditional, but they are used in a way that gives it’s own independence. The idea was born from the desire to transform traditional stained-glass into an object, using a technique which has almost been abandoned, bringing it back to life in furnitire pieces with ultra modern patterns plus graphics.

The rugs have been produced solely by hand by cc-tapis plus complete the collection of furniture edited by Spazio Pontaccio with patterns, colors plus materials that testify the desire to give value to ancient production techniques adding a contemporary breath to them.

Moreover, the use of sustainable materials emphasizes a commitment to environmental responsibility, reflecting a broader movement within design toward eco-conscious practices. As each rug is crafted, it becomes imbued with the passion plus dedication of its maker, resulting in items that are not merely decorative but also deeply personal. This collection embodies a harmonious dialogue between past plus present, creating a bridge that connects historical significance with modern living. By incorporating these handwoven rugs into their offerings, Spazio Pontaccio invites individuals to experience the warmth plus authenticity that only handmade textiles can provide, enriching spaces with both beauty plus meaning.

Patricia Urquiola plus Federico Pepe’s stained glass Credenza collection will launch at Spazio Pontaccio during Milan Design Week

Looking at Patricia Urquiola’s stunning Shimmer collection, launched for Glas Italia during Milan Design Week last year, one would never guess that it was the designer’s first foray into using glass. It is a material she had been avoiding for a sederhana yet unexpected reason: she hated it. “If you’re working in tableware or little items, it can be very interesting,” she stated, “I hate glass when you have to do furniture. It makes me vomit.”

It seems like that collection was a turning point for the Spanish designer, because this year she’s at it again. At Spazio Pontaccio, Urquiola will launch a line of furniture she has been collaborating on with Federico Pepe, the design polymath plus creative director behind Le Dictateur.

The Credenza collection—which will include a series of cupboards (pictured below), screens plus low tables—draws its name from the Italian word that means both “cupboard” plus “belief.” Similarly, the designers are seeking to fuse functionality with the ethereal beauty of stained glass.

As a process, stained glass hasn’t changed much since it was first developed in the middle ages. Despite Credenza’s contemporary geometric patterns plus colors, its production process is steeped in the historic tradition of the stained glass technique. In the images below, we see Italian artisans deftly crafting each piece by hand. The process begins with cutting individual forms out of sheets of glass plus laying them out in intricate patterns. The glass pieces are then joined with lead, an ideal material for this because it is both flexible plus very strong/durable.

The actual term “stained glass” derives from a “stain” of silver chloride that is painted onto the back of the glass, which is afterwards fired in a furnace. This silver stain is used to give a wider range of colors, from pale yellow to a deep red, depending on the glass composition, stain composition, the number of applications, the temperature of the furnace, plus the color of the initial piece of glass. It also imparts an even quality so that light can shine through the glass uniformly.

has added stained-glass panels to the front of these cabinets, becoming the latest in a series of designers to use the material for contemporary furniture.

Urquiola worked with graphic designer Federico Pepe to create the Credenza capsule collection of furniture, which includes cabinets, screens plus a low table designed for Milan boutique Spazio Pontaccio. All of the pieces feature geometric panels of blue, red plus yellow glass, with diagonal plus triangular patterns housed in semi-circular frames.

The use of stained plus coloured glass is emerging as one of the key trends at this year’s Milan design week. The Campana brothers have used the material to fill blob-shaped gaps in a wooden cabinet, plus Glas Italia is presenting a range of coloured glass furniture pieces. Among Urquiola plus Pepe’s references for the Credenza collection were the stained-glass windows that German artist Gerhard Richter installed at Cologne Cathedral in 2007.

To create the duo’s designs, sections of coloured glass were cut by Italian artisans to match paper plus card patterns, then laid out.

Narrow strips of metal – typically lead in traditional stained-glass windows – are melted between the gaps that fuse the panes together once cooled plus solidified. “The meeting between an antique sacred inspiration plus its reinterpretation in the form of design is as well reflected in the production process of the collection,” said a statement from Spazio Pontaccio.

“Credenza – characterised by contemporary patterns, colours plus materials – is produced in Italy by artisans skilled in the thousand-year-old manual technique of stained glass, generally used for the architecture plus the decoration of churches.”

The panels are installed in sederhana furniture pieces that rest on thin cylindrical legs. The curved forms of the cabinets taper back from the glass sections across the front. Urquiola overcame her hatred of glass last year when she designed a set of iridescent furniture plus mirrors using the material. The designer has since created a range of grid-patterned architectural glass for Skyline Design.

The Crendenza collection is launching at Spazio Pontaccio, Via Pontaccio 18, in Milan’s Brera district during the city’s design week. Taking place from 12 to 17 April 2016, the event will also see that launch of a variety of designs for children.

cc-tapis will collaborate with COVER at Milan Design Week 2016. Lucy Upward looks at the Italian firm’s multifarious activities set for April

As American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.’ A concept that must somehow be ingrained into the working ethos of Milanese rug brand cc-tapis. For enthusiasm, positivity plus enviable style, head designer Daniele Lora, front man Fabrizio Cantoni, wife Nelcya Cantoni plus the full ‘cc’ crew have in abundance. Not only this, but they are extremely well connected in the design world, plus with all these attributes they are about to create something great for Milan Design Week.

Many companies are currently still busy making plans for various events to be held during this annual celebration of design, while cc-tapis are full steam ahead with an incredible five separate shows. For the first time they will have a stand at the all-important Salone del Mobile (12-17 April) in Hall 6 (stand E40), where we will collaborate with a ‘COVER presents’ display. It will follow the firm’s new visual identity – think immaculate, minimal, serene – as presented at imm Cologne plus Maison et Objet in January but on a much grander scale. There will be a selection of all the brand’s latest designs from the likes of Patricia Urquiola, Federico Pepe, Studio Palomba Serafini Architects plus rugs designed by Zanellato/Bortotto for Rubelli, to name but a few.

As usual cc-tapis will also be part of Brera Design District with four further displays, the first of which will be a presentation of new work created with Milan design agency Studiopepe in the firm’s slick showroom on Via San Simpliciano (opening event on 12 April).

At the end of the road, on Via Pontaccio, is design boutique Spazio Pontaccio, where cc-tapis will be appearing in two separate displays. On 11 April there will be a private event to launch the new capsule rug collection Credenza created by design gods Patricia Urquiola plus Federico Pepe for Spazio Pontaccio plus cc-tapis. All four designs are by Urquiola, who collaborated with Pepe on two of the four. Inspiration for the project was taken from traditional stained glass windows, particularly those of Cologne Cathedral.

Nel 2002 tra le vie di Brera, dove si nasconde l’anima più creativa, più artistica e più affascinante di Milano, nasce Spazio Pontaccio, la Boutique del Design. Da oltre dieci anni presenta collezioni che sanno unire creatività al buon gusto, dove accostamenti tra stili, forme e materiali offrono ai visitatori un’esperienza estetica sorprendente. Come palcoscenici in continua evoluzione, le tre grandi vetrine su Via Pontaccio hanno visto susseguirsi in qualità di attori protagonisti talenti emergenti e designer affermati come Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola, Philippe Starck, Oki Sato, Piero Lissoni, Arik Levy e Tokujin Yoshioka. Tutto questo, e molto altro, è raccolto nella galleria di cristallo di Spazio Pontaccio, che con un’inesauribile attività di ricerca verso tutto ciò che è nuovo, conferma il proprio ruolo di collegamento tra mondi, epoche e gusti differenti, scelti con profondo amore per il bello e accostati con sapienza, raffinatezza e un pizzico di irriverenza.

Negli anni Spazio Pontaccio ha legato collaborazioni esclusive con grandi designer, quali Lee Broom, Nendo, Giacomo Moor e Patricia Urquiola, ponendosi come palcoscenico per la presentazione di collezioni dai design unici.

Milano capitale dell’innovazione
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Milano è sinonimo di Design. Milano ha storicamente un ruolo chiave in questo ambito, come città natale o adottiva della maggior parte dei professionisti e degli artisti che hanno reso il Design italiano un’eccellenza nel mondo (Alessandro Mendini ed Achille Castiglioni solo per citarne alcuni). Milano inoltre è la città italiana attualmente più aperta all’innovazione ed al passo con le principali capitali europee. Questo connubio tra una solida tradizione ed una forte proiezione verso il futuro la rende il terreno fertile ideale per presentare nuovi progetti e nuovi talenti.

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Supperscene: la cena in vetrina
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Ciascun progetto dei primi 14 anni di vita di Spazio Pontaccio ha lasciato un suo piccolo o grande segno. Certamente il più memorabile è stato SupperScene, organizzato durante la Design Week 2014: esperienza multisensoriale di una cena preparata da uno chef stellato ed allestita nelle vetrine dello Showroom con nostri arredi ed oggetti, tutti pezzi creati apposta per l’occasione da designer ed artisti. Alla cena in vetrina ha partecipato il gotha del design internazionale e la stessa è stata selezionata da Wallpaper* come uno tra i 5 migliori progetti di quell’edizione.

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Da curatori a editori
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A segnare una svolta strategica per noi è stata senza dubbio la Design Week 2015 con la presentazione della nostra prima collezione di arredi ed oggetti firmata Spazio Pontaccio. Questo nuovo capitalo ha segnato il passaggio da un ruolo esclusivamente di curatore ad una duplice veste anche di editore. Veste che – a distanza di quasi un anno – ci sta insegnando molto ed allo stesso tempo ci sta dando grandi soddisfazioni!

Spazio Pontaccio chooses Lorenzo Petrantoni’s talent to present the “TIMELESS STORY” for Christmas 2010. The protagonists of this story is a spectacular installation within the via Pontaccio showroom and a special limited edition in which the ability of Petrantoni to make absolutely contemporary writings, graphics and drawings of two centuries ago, is expressed to the maximum power. The encounter between the Pellini Family from Spazio Pontaccio and Lorenzo Petrantoni has been giving life to a special installation in the showroom from November 18th, where time is the main theme. A time with nomor boundaries, nomor beginning or ending, an indefinite and infinite time, stopped for a momen by the unique Petrantoni style. And not only.

His creativity is also expressed in the Timeless Story Special Edition that Spazio Pontaccio has created for the occasion, giving life to an object present in everyone’s memory: the traditional cuckoo clock, produced in a distinctive table version decorated by Petrantoni. Timeless Story Special Edition will be on sale exclusively at Spazio Pontaccio from November 18th, at 198 Euro.

Lorenzo Petrantoni was born Genoa, Italy in 1970. He graduated from graphic design school in Milan, he later worked as an art director for Young & Rubicam in France before finally moving back to Italy, where he lives and works today. Petrantoni’s illustrations are an amalgamation of historical references and contemporary themes, showcasing his ability to communicate complex ideas through visual intricacies. He draws inspiration from various sources, including classic literature, nature, and the rich cultural heritage of Italy. As a result, his pieces often resonate with nostalgia yet remain relevant in today’s context.

Over the years, Lorenzo has collaborated with a variety of clients, ranging from renowned brands to cultural institutions, leading to a diverse portfolio that showcases his versatility as an artist. His work has been exhibited in galleries and art shows across Europe and beyond, earning him a dedicated following. With a commitment to pushing boundaries, he continues to explore new mediums and techniques, ensuring that each creation is a testament to his enduring love for art and expression.

With so many events plus exhibitions, cocktails plus dinners competing for attention in Milan this week, determining the standout invitations can be a task in itself. But when a set of heavy golden cutlery arrives in the post, hanging from a gilded ring like a bunch of keys, it’s a safe bet that this will not be your run-of-the-mill Milano mélange or Prosecco parade. And indeed, last night’s Supper Scene, a dinner hosted in the windows of design boutique Spazio Pontaccio, was anything but.

On the opening night of Salone, a set of these glittering accoutrements was one of the hottest tickets in town. Offering an extraordinary one-off theatrical dining event in the Brera district, Supper Scene hosted 50 guests drawn from the global design stage with a spread cooked by a Michelin-starred chef, plus presented on plus around limited-edition tableware, furniture plus accessories.

Charging Uruguayan-born chef Matias Perdomo (of Milan’s experimental Al Pont de Ferr) with the food, Spazio Pontaccio’s idea was to create an extraordinary, bespoke environment in which everything from the rug underfoot to the lighting overhead was considered. ‘We believe that the beauty of a chair can influence the beauty of conversation, plus that a table’s legs can support a line of reasoning,’ the gallery outlined in an animated teaser in the lead up to the event.

So can a lamp enlighten ideas? Maybe when it’s a cage-like piece by Jason Miller plus Philippe Malouin for Roll & Hill, illuminating Bethan Gray’s marble humbug striped ‘Alice’ collection of tableware (originally commissioned for last year’s Wallpaper Handmade exhibition), glass stools by Ron Gilad, a maze carpet by Daniele Lora for CC-Tapis plus elaborate plates designed by Federico Pepe. And certainly when your guest-list includes the likes of Jasper Conran, Tom Dixon plus Patricia Urquiola. The only unanswered question is whether last night’s lively plus energetic atmosphere was due to the never-ending supply of Veuve Clicquot, or the fact it was served in Lee Broom’s stunning new ‘On The Rock’ glasses.

This was a dinner that proved a meal could indeed be more than the sum of its parts. The menu itself was as curious as it was delightfully presented, with several dishes appearing like bubbles of Murano glass plus Perdomo’s famous ‘Lego plus Campari’ dessert causing an Instagram sensation. The multi-course affair included the likes of ‘blown tendons with caviar plus burrata’ plus ‘beef tenderloin with foie gras sashimi’.

And now that the leftovers have been cleared, the table with all its porcelain, crystal plus glassware will remain on view in Spazio Pontaccio’s windows – plus available to buy – for the rest of the month.