c/o Spazio Maiocchi
via Achille Maiocchi 7
20129 Milano, Italy
From 17–23 April, Capsule Plaza opens its doors at Spazio Maiocchi—a hybrid between a fair and a collective exhibition, bringing together designers and companies from various creative fields.
The inaugural edition of Capsule Plaza will be held in
Milan—celebrating the city’s enduring status as a design
capital, Salone del Mobile as a landmark on the global calendar,
and Spazio Maiocchi as a bonafide design week destination.
The exhibition's diverse lineup includes installations by
Byredo Bal d’Afrique, Snarkitecture for Gufram,
Sabine Marcelis for La Prairie,
Armature Globale for On,
Formafantasma for Tacchini, and
Panter & Tourron for XL Extralight.
The installations will be accompanied by a robust program of
talks, presentations, and workshops tapping into a wide range of
creators—including Willo Perron, Devon Turnbull,
Harry Nuriev, Snowcrash, Sucuk&Bratwurst,
and Ali Shah Gallefoss—and realized with the
collaboration of partners such as Poltrona Frau,
Mutina, USM Haller, Flos, Kvadrat,
ALPI Wood, Paulin Paulin Paulin,
New Tendency, Grau, Syng, Offecct,
Numeroventi, and Slam Jam.
Capsule Plaza is an initiative curated by Capsule’s creative
director Alessio Ascari with Paul Cournet, founder of
Rotterdam-based research and design studio CLOUD, who is also
responsible for the design of the public areas. The visual
identity is created by Swiss art direction studio Kasper-Florio.
Installations
TACCHINI
FLOCK
by Formafantasma
Tacchini teams up once again with Milan- and Rotterdam-based duo
Formafantasma on a journey of sustainability. The project
introduces a new, nature-based manufacturing process focusing on
the circularity of materials. The upholstered seating of four
iconic Tacchini designs—Le Mura, Costela, Five to Nine, and
Lina—is reworked from the inside out, through a technique
inspired by antique mattress production which replaces
industrial foam with surplus sheep wool. The exhibition reveals
the research conducted by Tacchini and Formfantasma to ensure
comfort and respect of the original designs, while spearheading
a new mode of fabrication that reflects contemporary
environmental concerns.
18–23 April 10am-8pm
Via
Achille Maiocchi 7
SNOWCRASH
1997–2003
“Snowcrash” started as an exhibition organized by a group of
young Finnish designers—Teppo Asikainen, Timo Salli, Ilkka
Suppanen, and Ilkka Terho—during Salone del Mobile, Milan, in
1997. Breaking with the conventional image of Scandinavian
design, the group employed lightweight materials such as nylon
fabric and integrated their furniture with high-tech features,
creating revolutionary products for a new breed of nomadic
cybersurfers. Shortly after the breakout exhibition, the
collective went corporate and Snowcrash was officially announced
as a company. However, it was a short-lived experience.
Day-to-day operations were shut down in 2003, and Snowcrash
gradually turned into a folk tale within the international
design community.
Design partner: Offecct
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7
ON
RES: MIND INSIDE THE MACHINE
by Armature Globale
Over a decade ago, Swiss sportswear brand On launched its first
shoe—one that combined performance and comfort, creating the
sensation of “running on clouds.” Now, the engineers at On Labs
have further developed this technology while paying homage to
the shoe that revolutionized the industry. In harnessing the
power of computer-optimized technology—Finite Element Analysis
(FEA)—they have investigated the impact of structures and
materials on the human body while running, successfully
minimizing stress. To celebrate the new Cloudsurfer as a
catalyst of changing times, the minimalist glass box designed by
Armature Globale serves as a a retainer of the digital world,
and an ephemeral yet material holder for the translation of
highly-engineered images outside of the design monitor.
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7
XL EXTRALIGHT
SOFTSCOPE
by Panter & Tourron
XL EXTRALIGHT® invited Lausanne-based design studio Panter &
Tourron to creatively interpret their innovative material
Organix 3.0. In response, the duo has conceived “Softscope,” an
architectural urban installation presented in the courtyard of
Spazio Maiocchi. Typically used by footwear manufacturers as a
lightweight outsole for clogs or shoes, the soft and spongey
material is produced using bio and circular feedstock from
recycled organic waste. Known for their work at the intersection
of technology and society, the duo have completely
re-contextualized its use, conceiving a pyramid-shaped outdoor
monolith—part conversation pit, part public stage.
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7
Panter Tourron
Armature Globale
Snowcrush
Formafantasma
LA PRAIRIE
THE COBALT ROOM
by Sabine Marcelis
In this exclusive collaboration between Swiss luxury house La
Prairie and awarded designer Sabine Marcelis, the brand’s iconic
cobalt blue, gifted by feminist artist Niki de Saint Phalle in
1982, takes central stage. The result is a dining space
featuring Bauhaus-inspired pieces, characterized by clean lines
and purity of forms, which will host a series of intimate
dinners organized in collaboration with the gastronomic
collective We Are Ona. Here, Marcelis’ signature forms, shapes,
and materials merge with the skincare house’s savoir-faire,
cementing La Prairie’s intrinsic connection to art and its
continued commitment in supporting and empowering women artists.
18–23 April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7
GUFRAM
THE SCULPTED SERIES
by Snarkitecture
Gufram and long-standing collaborator Snarkitecture, the New
York-based design practice founded by Daniel Arsham and Alex
Mustonen, present a monumental family of five domestic
sculptures available only in black and white. Each piece is made
by hand by Gufram’s artisans, starting from a block of
polyurethane foam to achieve the concrete-looking texture. The
sculpted pieces are then coated with Guflac® Ultra—the
contemporary evolution of the special paint invented by Gufram
over fifty years ago, which makes each object incredibly durable
and weather-resistant. Characterised by forms and shapes that
are both familiar and strange, “The Sculpted Series” is an
architectural fragment that reflects the shared sensibilities of
Gufram and Snarkitecture.
Powered by Juventus
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7
LISTENING ROOM
by Devon Turnbull and Willo Perron
New York-based “speaker sculptor” Devon Turnbull, founder of
highend audio company OJAS, presents an all-new, handmade sound
system and a purpose-built acoustically-considered space. A
largescale “Sausage Sofa” by Los Angeles-based designer Willo
Perron, custom made in Kvadrat textile; a group of iconic
“Groovy” chairs by Paulin Paulin Paulin; and a configuration of
Soundwave® Swell acoustic panels by O#ecct, complete the room
and enable the public to fully immerse in the listening
experience. The space will be activated with a series of
listening sessions throughout the week.
18–23 April
10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 10
Willo Perron
Konstantin Grcic
Devon Turnball
Sabine Marcellis
Daniel Arsham
BYREDO BAL D'AFRIQUE
by Dozie Kanu
18–23 April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 10
AUTOMOBILI AMOS
Futurista
A hyper-popular “super car“ from the 80s, Lancia Delta Integrale
was a rally and road voracious winner. With its uncompromising
attitude, Automobili Amos endeavored to rework its “body and
brains,” giving it more muscles and resolving quality control
issues. Each component of the silhouette was carefully
reimagined through digital rendering and clay modelling; the
bodywork was untouched but appears “pumped up.” While the
introduction of composite materials, such as carbon fiber,
reduces the vehicle’s weight down to about 1,250 kilograms, the
characteristic all-in-one hood and the elimination of the back
doors in favor of a 3-door design give way to an exciting new
sense of geometry.
18–23 April 10am-8pm
Via
Achille Maiocchi 7
ZENOMORPH
by Sucuk&Bratwurst
The Zenomorph chair is the first furniture design by the
Berlin-based interdisciplinary creative studio Sucuk&Bratwurst, continuing their multifaceted product line called
Sucux—a versatile collection of extraterrestrial objects. The
distinctive silhouette of the chair pays homage to the iconic
alien head shape, as it has been referenced and loved in pop
culture for decades, while also hinting to the abstract
futuristic forms of Space Age design from the 1960s.
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 10
MATERIAL MYTHS
by Ali Shah Gallefoss
The result of a two-month residency in Florence of the
Oslo-based artist Ali Gallefoss, “Material Myths” consists of a
series of sculptural furniture, extruded interiors, and ceramic
vases. The pieces, sitting on the threshold between art and
design, emerge from Gallefoss’ research on the traditional
manufacturing techniques that characterise the Tuscan region.
Investigating vernacular practices through a contemporary lens,
Gallefoss’ practice approaches the material—in this case
aluminium and ceramic—as a living entity, infusing the creative
process with chance and intuitive contaminations.
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 10
Sucuk&Bratwurst
Alishah Gallefoss
Pierre Rousseau
Harry Nuriev
PLAZA LOUNGE
by New Tendency and Grau
In this installation designed by architect Paul Cournet, New
Tendency’s archetypal Standard Sofa, their minimalist Float
Shelves, as well as innovative lighting by Grau, are combined
into striking geometric clusters. With its firm comfort, clean
form, and balanced proportions, the Standard Sofa lends itself
equally well to both private and public space, providing an
ideal lounge area; with integrated Color Tune technology, the
Team Cowork lamps promote wellbeing and focus.
18–23
April 10am-8pm
Via Achille Maiocchi 7