DoorwayThe expansion of the Almini boutique in Via Bagutta in Milan expands and extends the spatial, formal and material choices of the small adjacent flagship store – designed by CZA as well – in line with the increasing product offer and the brand image. The role of an exhibition and sales space like this, is similar to that of the sound box of a musical instrument capable of giving fullness and generating resonances around the melody produced by the strings. The interior architecture of the store creates an atmosphere both precious and discreet around shoes and leather goods of perfect and inimitable workmanship. The background does not need to replace the object; instead, it wants to be an “analogue” capable of arousing emotions and generating a system of connotations appropriate to its character and style. The new entrance on Via Bagutta takes the form of a round arch inscribed in the geometry of the existing portal; while its profile resonates with the motifs of the historical architecture of the district, the material and chromatic consistency of the oxidized brass reinterprets it in a contemporary way. Its sharp profile allows a complete view of the stone of the Neoclassical archive, and its splay- which deforms on the left to create a single window facing the road- frames the glass door leading to the store.
The theme of the oval-headed brass frame distinguishes not only the frames of the existing windows but also the exhibitors of the interior, and it is in perfect continuity with the best examples of architecture of the post-war shop, among them the splendid Manzoni Gallery and its large mirrors with rounded corners. The details of the interior design – the protruding displays with the background in capitonné cloth with gold buttons, the trays projecting from the fluted oak cabinet and held up by slender metal supports, the stucco vault and the large mirror decorated with the Almini braid motif – are intended as an explicit tribute to the great season of Milanese architecture and design after World War II, whose formal refinement and attention to detail is today the envy of the world, as is the inimitable class of Almini shoes and accessories, the result of a long dialogue between innovative design, attention to materials and craftsmanship. In a world that is increasingly capable of copying existing motifs, the Almini flagship store wants to demonstrate the vitality of an “Italian design” that is proud of its identity and at the same time open to a global reality.
