A small nook in the facade where passersby on the street can sit in the new showroom in Milan designed by studio Nendo. From afar, the front of Marsotto's showroom in Milan's Brera district looks as if it's sealed up by blocks of veiny white marble.
"Because the traffic circle facing the showroom will soon be greened and turned into a small park, part of the facade was made into impromptu street furniture with a soft recess on it, in the hopes that neighbours might sit as if on a bench and rest for a spell," Nendo explained.
To achieve this, Nendo lined the entire facade – including the flush front door – in marble tiles, being careful to set them in line with the existing stonework on the building.
A door hidden in the marble front gives entrance to marble manufacturer Marsotto’s showroom
Inside, a mesh like marble partition in the entrance space covers the staircase behind. The partition is made from two layers of 10 mm thick marble, perforated by 65 mm wide holes, sandwiched between glass sheets.
The showroom exhibits marble furniture, sundries, and samples of processed materials. The ground level aims to give the physical experience of marble processing techniques, while the basement space is divided into 4 rooms, provided with 5 stages of varying size.
