“Oasi for me is a happy space;” said Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, referring to the new terrace she designed on the first floor of Luisa Via Roma. Despite being in the heart of Florence, the Tropicalia armchair she added a colorful touch with its purple, pink, green, blue, yellow and red palette. “It seems made up of many different threads, but it’s only one thread that changes color,” explained Urquiola at an event on Nov. 29, saying she was inspired by Missoni dresses to create the outdoor chair with Moroso.
Near Oasi, on the first floor of the concept store there is an another space that borders on the terrace, and Luisa Via Roma interior design buyer Valentina Guidi Ottobri is transforming it into a design store. “Here we’ll put up some shelves and the walls will be painted with sand colors,” she said. For two years, Luisa Via Roma has been selling design online, but “it lacked a physical space.” The exhibition “Brilliant Ceramics” will take place here at the same time as the installation of architect Claudio Nardi at Forte Belvedere, called “Aria,” in early January. “We will talk about the relationship between the craftsman and the designer,” she revealed.
“The future development of Luisa Via Roma Home will continue to be the integration between the real and the virtual world: the web site was born from the experience of the concept store and the latter is powered by the web site,” said Andrea Panconesi, ceo of Luisa Via Roma. “Many people, who know us through the web site, when they come to Florence, they have pleasure in visiting the physical space.” A hug, a handshake and why not, a drink together: these are the reasons the terrace was designed, he said. A green space, where Moroso’s iconic Tropicalia chair is next to the most recent collections of Mesh and Roll for Kettal. There is also a comfortable rug from the Vieques collection for Kettal. “Some people ask me if it’s handmade, or if it comes from India,” said Urquiola, “but it was produced in an industrial way with an Italian machine.” Made in PVC, the new rug has a three-dimensional weave, thanks to Nido d’Ape, an innovative and exclusive textile which is the result of two years of research.