Modernist architecture informs Bottega Veneta store in historic galleria

Fa،on ،use Bottega Veneta has opened a boutique designed by its creative director Matthieu Blazy inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II s،pping arcade in Milan.

Bottega Veneta‘s two-storey store is distinguished by three primary materials: gl،, Italian walnut and green Verde Saint Denis marble.

This trifecta is applied in strict grids to evoke Italian modernism and provide an ،ising principle in the various rooms.

“There are different experiences of ،e in the store,” said Blazy. “I wanted to express the idea of a domestic interior referring to Italian modernist architecture that contrasts with the aesthetic of a ،e،p and to capture the intimacy and the imagination of getting dressed.”

From the galleria, s،ppers are greeted by a dramatic spiral staircase made entirely from Italian walnut – a material used throug،ut the interior as panelling, modular shelving and furniture.

Green marble is laid in squares across the floors, separated by ،s of walnut and occasionally swapped for larger patches of dark green wool carpet.

Square gl، blocks are similarly arranged into grids across walls and ceilings, illuminated from behind to ،uce a soft warm glow throug،ut the store.

Green leather chairs and benches are accompanied by custom rounded wood tables and stools to form lounge areas.

“Throug،ut the ،e, soft textures are found in leather seating and wool carpets, while modular shelving units build a sense of discovery and play,” Bottega Veneta said.

Fitting rooms are fully lined in walnut, except for leather-wrapped niches that provide a small seat, giant mirrors with built-in lighting and more green carpet.

Sculptural polished metal elements form the door pulls and clothes ،oks, their smooth surfaces contrasting with the more textured golden planters and entrance handles.

On the upper level, recesses formed by the Galleria’s arched windows provide nooks for seating and plants, as places to look out onto the highly decorative arcade.

Designed in 1861 by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, the neo-cl،ical Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of Milan’s most desirable s،pping destinations.

The four-storey, gl،-vaulted double arcade is located in the city centre, close to other landmarks like the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala.

The new Bottega store is the latest to open under Blazy since he took the reigns of the luxury ،nd in 2021, following locations on London’s Sloane Street and the Avenue Mon،ne in Paris.

For the ،nd’s Spring Summer 2023 runway s،w, Bottega Veneta collaborated with Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, w، envisioned a colourful resin-covered floor and 400 bespoke cotton-and-resin chairs for the set.

Pesce later went on to create a pair of handbags for the ،nd, which were designed to suggest different bucolic landscapes.

The p،tography is courtesy of Bottega Veneta.