MILAN — Naoto Fukasawa, the Japanese industrial designer celebrated for his minimalist, “super normal” aesthetic, is enhancing Alessi stores with the sort of homey Zen native to Japan.
On Friday, the Italian design brand unveiled a new store concept by the Japanese designer, debuting in Milan and Tokyo as part of its mission to reshape its shopping experience.
In a statement, Fukasawa explained the two stores were intended to feel like a home, an immersive environment where design is lived rather than simply displayed, adding that he achieved this with interiors defined by combining the “soft glow of porcelain” with oak and white finishes and metal accents.
“Alessi’s new space feels less like a shop and more like a home. It is a place that gently reminds us of the essence of living,” Fukasawa explained in a statement.
Alessi’s Milan store designed by Naoto Fukasawa.
A key feature of the concept is an experiential café, where visitors can interact with Alessi products through coffee service and live demonstrations. In Milan, the historic Via Manzoni store was redesigned and soft-opened during Milan Design Week, with an official opening planned for September. Alongside Alessi products, the space also includes a curated selection of books and a small range of clothing. The 1,453-square-foot location includes a 538-square-foot café area developed with Caffè Vergnano, where customers can stop for coffee, pastries or sandwiches.
The same format has also opened in Omotesandō, Tokyo, where it introduces the Alessi universe in a similarly residential, sensory way, including products shown in Japan for the first time. Fukasawa, who is famous for his Wall-Mounted CD Player for Muji and Hiroshima chair for Japanese firm Maruni, also designs products for Alessi. Earlier this year it introduced Itsumo Yunoki, a porcelain tableware collection created with centenarian artist Samiro Yunoki.
Alessi’s Tokyo store.
Courtesy of Alessi
