roca and benedetta tagliabue infuse mediterranean pavilion into university of milan

roca and benedetta tagliabue collaborate for milan design week 2023

Mediterranean nature, architecture and vibrancy have sprung in the city during Milan Design Week 2023. Inspired by the region’s environment – its landscape, light and colors – Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects organically forms an immersive installation into the courtyard of the Universita Degli Studi di Milano. As visitors explore the space, an overwhelming sense of Barcelona evokes and subtly references Roca and its new bathroom furnishing collections.

‘Milan Design Week is the global stage to present what a brand stands for. Each presentation is a snapshot that brings the brand to life with all its history and the many in tangible layers. The collaboration with Benedetta Tagliabue intriguingly represents Roca’s DNA and becomes part of it at this very moment,‘ introduces Marc Viardot, Roca’s Corporate Marketing and Design Director.

Roca Nutura pavilion temporarily inhabits the courtyard of the Universita Degli Studi di Milano

All images courtesy of Roca Group

interview with benedetta tagliabue

Visitors at Milan Design Week 2023 can re-experience nature with Roca. The installation’s name, Nutura, nods to this but is actually derived from a blend of the brand’s latest collections: Nu by Inma Bermudez, and Tura by Andreu Carulla. There is no physical display of these products. Instead, the characteristics – the expert material, craft and, overall, creativity – is felt throughout the pavilion.

‘Before collaborating with Roca, it was important for me to visit their factory to see the production. It was incredibly interesting. The material, process and knowledge are unique. We knew the brand’s presence at Milan Design Week would not be focused on products, so we referenced materials instead,’ Benedetta Tagliabue tells designboom in an exclusive interview.

Roca and Benedetta Tagliabue collaborates in a Mediterranean infusion

immersive mediterranean journey

Nutura embraces its position in the courtyard of the Università degli Studi di Milano, surrounding yet respecting the existing and imposing Gingko Biloba Tree. Wooden pylons and shutters create a game of lights, shadows and textures as visitors embark on a Mediterranean-inspired journey through the open-air pavilion. The meandering path concludes at an organically formed square where people can relax, connect and enjoy the unique setting.

‘Nature is the concept throughout the pavilion. It is floating on top of the greenery, embracing its surroundings. Since the beginning of the design process, we knew the site’s tree would be a focal point to include into the architecture,’ explains the architect.

Wooden shutters create a game of lights, shadows and textures as visitors journey through the pavilion

‘We have captured the vibrancy of the Mediterranean but in a transparent way. Guests can see through the wooden shutters, provoking curiosities and connection with other people when seated,’ continues Benedetta.

The architecture’s organic shapes are enriched with likewise materials and colors. The timber and ceramic tiles resemble a combination of neutral colors, shifting from different tones of brown to blue, like the ground and ocean. After the design week, all materials will be disassembled, recovered and used in future exhibitions.

The architecture’s organic shapes are enriched with likewise materials and colors

canvas of collaborative ceramics

Brightly hued in variations of blue, the pathway through the pavilion are interrupted with slashes of ceramics. Made in collaboration with Ceràmica Cumella with Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Cataluña, the tiles combine highly technical craft with art. Firstly, the ceramics display allegorical drawings of Roca’s Nu and Tura products. Secondly, the placement spells out a sea of floating letters to reveal hidden messages to guests.

‘Ceràmica Cumella are very good crafters. We have worked together before because I know we can achieve special things.’ The architect continues to add, ‘For example, the drawings on the pavilion’s tiles are very technical. He knew the process needed to draw on the ceramic like a canvas.’

Brightly hued in variations of blue, the pathway through the installation are interrupted with slashes of ceramics

multisensory path ends in metaverse

The immersive installation’s natural materials contrast with digital creations by 3D artist Julia Ippolito and Joe Mortell, under the artistic direction of Isern Serra. Titled ‘Mediterranean Metaverse: an oneiric journey’, it extends the pavilion into a multisensory experience that guests can watch whilst either walking through or resting in the square. A third bathroom collection, Ona, is the central character in the creations. The products are juxtaposed in a seemingly surrealist world that is actually also inspired by the landscape, colors and light of the Mediterranean.

‘The product is present in many subtle ways, like in the ceramic drawings, videos but also the shapes. The forms within the pavilion give a subliminal message of well-being, which is the luxury that Roca realizes through its products. Visitors feel rested, inspired and care for after visiting Roca at Milan Design Week 2023,’ concludes Benedetta Tagliabue in an interview with designboom.

The meandering path concludes at an organically formed square where people can relax, connect and enjoy

Natural materials contrast with digital creations by Julia Ippolito and Joe Mortell, under the direction of Isern Serra

‘Mediterranean Metaverse: an oneiric journey’ extends a multisensory experience for guests

project info:

brand: Roca

pavilion: Nutura

architect: Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects

ceramics: Ceràmica Cumella with Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Cataluña

3D artists: Julia Ippolito and Joe Mortell

art direction: Isern Serra

location: Università degli Studi di Milano

dates: April 17-26, 2023