Meridiani showroom, Milan
Meridiani showroom, Milan

For MilanVia Manzoni is a street full of value: it links the green lung of the Porta Venezia gardens to Piazza della Scala. Two of the city’s symbols. At number 38, in a prestigious early 20th century building in the heart of the Quadrilatero della moda, Meridiani has chosen to open its new corporate space: 500 square metres in an area with a high concentration of people and ideas. But in the rarefied calm of a court of courtly proportions, set back from the street and flooded with light.

The interiors are designed by Andrea Parisio, designer and art director of Meridiani, together with Giuseppe Pezzano. A careful work of dialogue between frame and contents: “The design of the store was certainly also important from an architectural point of view,” explains Parisio.

“We wanted to create an exceptional setting, where the furnishing products integrate perfectly with the architecture of the space, designing the space around the product. I believe that this is the key point of the design of the future (and the present!): being able to create design solutions tailored to one’s needs, working hand in hand between interior and architecture.”

“The starting point of the project,” continues the architect, “was precisely to focus on the idea of dissolving the boundary between furnishings and construction: the Meridiani store in Via Manzoni in Milan is a chromatic space where the colour white is the starting point, in which the various materials (marble, wood, fabric) dialogue with the luminosity of the walls – in Calce del Brenta, interspersed with metal inserts – and the floor. In this elegant atmosphere, Meridiani’s proposals for the living, dining and sleeping area coexist. And contemporaneity plays the leading role”.

The showroom is articulated on several levels, in an interplay of volumes that create multiple perspectives: from the full-height glass entrance door, the gaze embraces the first room and immediately ascends to the second space, a few steps higher up. This elevated space is divided into two large, symmetrical and complementary conversation zones.

In the centre, a wide staircase is visually the centrepiece of the design: its circular shape is emphasised by a large light panel on the ceiling, like a skylight, and a backdrop. The same curves are to be found in the walls which, on the lower floor, design niches and cosy rooms without the need to use doors or interrupt the path.

This interplay of visual connections makes the design harmonious and cohesive, creating a continuity that is both conceptual and stylish. “The architectural details in this space meet the precision of fashion in the finishes, the edges, the contrast between the rough and the smooth. I am convinced that it is the details that make the difference, so they should never be overlooked,” explains Parisio.

“The Meridiani store speaks of a rich and articulated interior design, with different settings that unfold in a fluid, seamless path. This is also thanks to the large spiral staircase that connects the two floors and dialogues perfectly with the furnishings.”

At the centre of the interior design project are the new 2023 collections, proposed alongside the historical ones and which have now become manifesto pieces for the company: such as Plinto, the series of tables inspired by architecture for the dining area, or the René sofas for the living room. Different episodes of the same story, an idea of style that year after year evolves but remains true to itself. And which emerges from these combinations with even greater depth.

This new Milanese address for Meridiani is a manifesto of taste and also a place designed for working side by side with designers and end customers, equipped with an exhaustive library of materials offered in a separate room and the possibility of having other rooms in which to organise meetings.

“The opening in Milan of a flagship brand store open to the public, in a prestigious location, is certainly a strong statement of brand consolidation,” concludes Parisio. “This space stands as an exclusive point of sale and is in addition to the flat at Corso Venezia 29 where Meridiani has ‘taken up residence’ for years, a domestic setting of great elegance furnished with the brand’s pieces. The latter is a showroom totally dedicated to professionals, i.e. architects and retailers, who want to experience the brand in the intimacy of a reserved space and see Meridiani products in a clearly defined living context. Two different addresses that certainly have a point of contact, namely that of being places where Meridiani expresses its interior design culture, designing interiors in line with contemporary lifestyles”.