nuova group's multisensory installation transforms milanese bistro into american home in 1971

staging ‘time travel’ at milan design week 2024

On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2024, NUOVA Group unveils an installation that unites multisensorial design with luxury dining. Staged at the bistrot Via Stampa, Time Travel provides a momentary Americana escape, inviting guests on an experiential voyage back in time, to 1971. The immersive installation features an array of bespoke elements including furniture, lighting, tailored garments, fragrance, music, gastronomy, and theatre that have been designed as a time capsule that transports participants across dimensions of time and space. Throughout the exhibition period, the venue will also remain fully operational for lunch and dinner.

all images courtesy of NUOVA Group

NUOVA GROUP’s time capsule transports visitors to 1971 usa

Time Travel unfolds at Via Stampa, a bistrot in the Carrobbio neighbourhood, opened just a few months ago with the aim of bringing taste and elegance to the heart of the city. Upon arrival, guests are greeted at the Time Travel Terminal by the concierge, signalling the beginning of an immersive encounter with a dedicated Milanese bar. Inside, Los-Angeles based NUOVA Group has curated the takeover of one of the main dining halls with a nostalgic ambiance reminiscent of a bygone era. It begins with the scent of Suede by Aeir — the world’s first bioengineered luxury perfume brand launched by the group in 2020.

Adorned with dark wood walls and a deep yellow palette upholstered with archival textiles from Torri Lana 1885, the debut, bespoke furniture collection awaits behind an aluminium portal — the bar area is choreographed as a waiting room, a liminal space suspended between different epochs. Guests will be offered a coursed menu of crafted drinks, choreographed by the design group’s allure of a vintage palette of flavours.

NUOVA Group unveils Time Travel

After experiencing the Time Travel’s Bar, guests will be invited by a concierge to step into the Sala, with a theatrical performance and spatial intervention that allows them to travel to 1971. The designers have orchestrated an immersive experience, lasting six minutes, engaging all senses; from scents to visuals, tactile elements, and enveloping sounds, participants are transported to a quintessential American living room. Even the accompanying staff, waiters, and concierge, are draped in period correct garments, with uniforms designed in collaboration with LA based luxury brand L’equip. ‘Whether experiencing this era for the first time, perhaps only having imagined it through movies or books, or nostalgically reliving cherished memories, Time Travel promises an engaging journey that beckons both exploration and introspection about the future,’ notes the team at NUOVA Group.

staged at a classic Milanese bistro for Milan Design Week

a momentary Americana escape, the installation invites guests on an experiential voyage back in time, to 1971

the designers have orchestrated an immersive experience, lasting six minutes, engaging all senses

a time capsule of design elements, creating a quintessential American living room

adorned with dark wood walls and a deep yellow palette upholstered with archival textiles from Torri Lana 1885

throughout the exhibition period, the venue will remain fully operational for lunch and dinner

the design concept evokes a bygone era through luxury and experiential design

project info:

name: Time Travel, 1971
designer: NUOVA Group

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom