Porta Venice in Design, now in its fifth edition, confirms itself as a vibrant district tackling the theme of sustainability, with a particular focus on materials.
The Design Week 2017 gets under way on 4 April, the event that brings the best of design and architecture to the Lombard capital through events, exhibitions and installations. Returning for the fifth consecutive year is the Fuorisalone circuit Porta Venezia in Design, which combines initiatives linked to sustainable design with a new gastronomic trail focused on bread.
Craftsmanship and innovation are the two keywords that define the Rossini art & design hub in Via Rossini, which also hosts the showroom of Hands on design, a young Italian company that produces objects designed to last and therefore not to be replaced in an endless cycle of disposability. Founded two years ago through the collaboration of designers and entrepreneurs Kaori Shiina and Riccardo Nardi, Hands on design presents its new collection featuring objects with a strong material expressiveness, such as alabaster and turned wood. By coordinating ancient Japanese and Italian craftspeople with internationally renowned designers, the project brings timeless products to life, made using the same techniques handed down through generations.
At Via Melzo 30 is the showroom of Frigerio21, making its debut at the Gli eroici furori gallery. The Milan-based furniture design company exhibits a range of marble furnishing components that are masterpieces of Made in Italy craftsmanship with a green philosophy, which calls for total respect for the material so as to render it sustainable and long-lasting. Particularly interesting is the collaboration with Fili Pari, a brand engaged in the ongoing research of new fibres and materials, including the Veromarmo membrane — a wearable microfilm containing marble dust that is thus repurposed and is completely waterproof and breathable. The membrane is used not only for Frigerio21's seating but also for the creation of a capsule collection of clothing. Wearing marble is possible.
A visit to The essential taste of design at the western tollhouse of Porta Venice is a must — an event developed in collaboration with Matteo Ragni Studio and Essent'ial, an Italian company long committed to the eco-sustainable world that produces objects from recycled materials. The concept draws on the building's original function as the Casa del pane (House of Bread), making room for projects with an essential style that also showcase everyday objects such as cutlery and chopping boards, prompting reflection on the important role that bread plays in Italian cuisine. On the ground floor is Bar Azure, furnished entirely with Essent'ial accessories made from honeycomb cardboard in a natural beige tone. With the project Breaking bread – Pane al pane, Canadian magazine Azure exhibits 12 drawings on the theme of bread proposed by as many architects and designers, including Aldo Cibic, Gaetano Pesce and Karim Rashid. Visitors are invited to donate a symbolic sum of one euro, with the proceeds going to the Associazione pane quotidiano.
The Alberto Guardiani showroom in Corso Venezia 6 opens its doors to Officine Opus by Ossigeno, a new integrated system of different natural materials ranging from wood to terracotta and lime, united by a shared colour palette. Restyling your space is a project that combines design and fashion — an eco-sustainable and innovative solution capable of reinventing the surfaces of a space, created by Ossigeno, architects specialising in sustainability, bio-architecture and interiors who champion co-design, a method with the ambition of involving the makers of every project at all times and at every stage.