tokujin yoshioka sets issey miyake's flagship within historic milanese building

the relationship between japanese architect tokujin yoshioka and fashion brand issey miyake is close to turning thirty-years-old, celebrating numerous projects that include exhibition displays and store interiors across the world. their collaboration continues its expansive journey with the opening of their new flagship store in milan, italy. located on the premises of palazzo reina, the retail space encompasses a 500-square-meter area that showcases a unique aesthetic by blending the historical aspect of the building with futuristic interior panels, expressing the passage of time.

while designing issey miyake’s flagship store in milan, tokujin yoshioka faced the important challenge of respecting the building’s historic features. this led to most of the completed interior being left untouched with many of the building’s original features visible throughout. the result is the perfect combination between old and new, where a dialogue between floors and ceilings are imposed throughout the visit. divided into different rooms, the floating sculptures of round aluminium display the clothes and resembled pieces of dyed cloth. the blue, orange and green, symbolise the energy of nature and also deliver a sense of translucency. the essence of design, harmonies with technology and handwork, is projected into the shop, reflecting the philosophy of issey miyake’s creations.

‘we are attracted to a past enriched by layers of history as well as an opaque future not yet realised,’ comments tokujin yoshioka. ‘the space exists within a 19th century building located near via montenapoleone, milan’s sophisticated street famous for historical architecture. it expressed the contrast between history and future showing the many layers of time in the texture of the interior walls juxtaposed with futuristic colored aluminium.’