snøhetta's free-standing portal to infiniteness at milan design week 2017

sometimes the simpler gestures are the ones that make the most impact, and this is the case for ‘portal’, an installation that resulted from the union of three creative and powerful forces — snøhetta, everything elevated and erik jørgensen. presented during milan design week 2017, the installation from afar looks like a never-ending ladder that invites the spectator to take a closer look and discover that from other perspectives things can be just illusions.

taking into consideration the idea of a stairway to heaven, snøhetta, everything elevated and erik jørgensen have conceived ‘portal’, an object that merges craftsmanship and innovative knowledge to enhance the sense of a place and the physical spaces we inhabit. following the meaning of its name, ‘portal’ aims to elevate the viewer from one place to another, which is the illusion that people should feel when looking at the piece. the secret behind its infiniteness is achieved thanks to the use of two mirrors, each one located at each end of the stair.

‘the installation portal is the result of a holistic approach combines with a variety of creative disciplines that are blended together, resulting in a one-of-a-kind installation,’ comments stian rossi, architect march snøhetta.

made of solid oak wood, the ‘portal’ ladder has been stained in black and upholstered with cohiba leather. its attention to detail reveals itself as the user gets closer, appreciating the black stitchings made in black to match the leather, but still acting as a dominant part of the piece. the self-standing ladder sits in between two round podiums clad with mirrors.

‘it was important for us that we created something seemingly simple. however, when you look close, it is in fact a very detailed installation with leather and stitching that beautifully show classic erik jørgensen tecniques and also why we are the best at upholstery,’ says niels jørgensen.