john pawson transforms valextra's milan store with monochromatic, gallery-like intervention

british architectural designer john pawson is the latest to reinvent valextra‘s flagship store in via manzoni, milan; a space that, by tradition, is handed over to a different architect or designer every year, merging its luxury leather products with the worlds of design, art and architecture. following creative collaborations with the likes of snarkitecture and kengo kuma, the brand has worked with pawson on a longer-term interpretation of the store marrying the minimal, clean elegance and restrained luxury of its minimalism with the designer’s own philosophy of space.

all images courtesy of valextra

john pawson‘s minimalist intervention at the via manzoni space is set to function as a flexible canvas for valextra, offering both a retail space for its products and a gallery for a series of art exhibitions. from the street, passersby can see all the way into the monochromatic interior,  which has been opened up structurally to invite guests into a sequence of three rooms, each incorporating the subtle drama of a different light identity.

the gallery-like store is characterized by a restrained use of color and light, while its design is based around a series of compositions featuring suspended shelves finished in plaster tinted to blend with the existing ceppo di gre floors. towards the back, the floating elements are replaced by a generously scaled table that visually anchors the space, and a sequence of mirrors that offers graphic glimpses of the surroundings, enhancing the sense of openness that lies at the core of pawson’s work.

project info:

architect: john pawson

client: valextra

location: via manzoni 3, 20121, milan, italy