An ecosystem where art and design enhance one another, creating a grand showcase for Italian lifestyle.
A historic residence to tell the story of the Molteni&C world. In the heart of Milan, just steps away from Piazza della Scala – specifically at Via Manzoni 9 – the leading brand in Italian design has just inaugurated its new address. It marks another step in the Group’s growth and internationalization strategy, as it celebrates 90 years of history, and signals the beginning of a new journey devoted to design, its culture, and dialogue with the city.
Palazzo Molteni is a space open to cultural exchange and to exploring new forms of collaboration – such as the installation of several works by Peter Schuyff, made possible through the support of the MASSIMODECARLO gallery. It’s a vibrant place that connects with the major events that shape the city’s rhythm, maintaining a close relationship with cultural institutions – first and foremost the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, located just across the street.
As visitors move through the rooms of the Flagship Store, they encounter key figures who have shaped and continue to shape the company’s identity: Gio Ponti, Luca Meda, Aldo Rossi, Tobia Scarpa, Jean Nouvel, Herzog & de Meuron, Ron Gilad, and Foster + Partners, among others.
The interior project was designed by Vincent Van Duysen, who engages with the tradition of Lombard neoclassicism – filtered through Liberty and Art Deco influences – across more than 3,000 square meters of this monumental 19th-century building. The Belgian architect has created a fluid space, open to transformation and conceived as a “multifunctional stage” that is easy to reorganize and reshape, while retaining the intimate, subtly introverted character typical of Milanese palazzi.
Van Duysen has imagined a journey unfolding across the building’s seven floors – a sequence of diverse environments that establish a continuous dialogue between domestic interiors and open spaces. Grand salons, noble-floor rooms, antechambers, intimate and hidden passages, areas for convivial gatherings, as well as unexpected terraces and rooftop gardens, all create a fluid relationship between inside and outside.
As visitors move through the rooms, glimpses of the city gradually reveal themselves, especially from the upper floors, where breathtaking views offer a panoramic look at Milan from above. At the heart of the experience lies the internal courtyard, transformed into an indoor space by a large glass canopy with a bold graphic design. This structure incorporates decorative elements – pilasters and friezes – that once adorned the building’s inner façade.
“It’s a palazzo,” says Van Duysen, “but at the same time a domestic universe – an intimate place we wanted to recreate within a grand, alluring monumental building that will be our home. A sensory world: a journey full of surprises, waiting to be discovered.”
