One of the strengths of architect and designer Fabio Novembre, who was commissioned to completely remodel Natuzzi’s large Milan flagship store, is his Apulian origins, a characteristic he shares with the famous furniture brand which has branched out from upholstered furniture to complete interior design solutions. The restyling project carried out in 2022 has given the showroom a distinctive character that recalls the brand’s regional and Mediterranean roots. “Natuzzi is the ideal ambassador for Apulia thanks to its ability to bring the region to the attention of an international audience,” said the designer. “This is why I wanted this new architectural space to celebrate our shared origins and the region’s culture, colours, traditions and atmospheres. It is a new way of imagining space that aims to showcase the furnishings while bringing to life the brand’s DNA and its characteristics of comfort, craftsmanship and Mediterranean style.” As a result, the showroom concept has very distinctive characteristics. “The heart of the project is the central area of the showroom, a conceptual town square surrounded by iconic Apulian festive lights and a sequence of arches recalling the region’s traditional architecture. All around the square are a series of open-plan spaces that allow for continuous flows and evoke the distinctive elements of our region’s landscapes, its traditional farmhouses, olive trees and warm sea light.”
Another factor that contributes to the showroom’s distinctive character is the use of porcelain tiles from Lea Ceramiche’s Concreto collection, also designed by Fabio Novembre (Novembre Studio) and chosen here in an Extra Light colour, 90×90 cm size and thin (6 mm) Slimtech version. This choice of material played an important role in contextualising the project. “The choice of materials was obviously determined by the desire to recall the relaxed atmospheres and pale beige and ivory colours of the Apulia region.” The choice also reflects the attention that both Fabio Novembre and Natuzzi devote to the environment. “Humans have a natural propensity for design and are the only animal capable of altering external conditions to their advantage rather than adapting to them,” continued the architect. “An architect must be aware of his impact on the environment and choose partners who are attentive to sustainability. That is why I chose to collaborate with Lea Ceramiche and to use Concreto, a collection we designed – almost literally – to pursue joint growth.” Concreto, he continues, is “a sustainable material that generates fewer emissions and consumes less water, energy and raw materials in the production process and has a smaller impact in terms of transport due to its low weight”. The collection is also part of Think Zero, the sustainability project launched by Lea Ceramiche’s parent company Panariagroup in September 2022 with the aim of offsetting the entire group’s emissions from the production of ultra-thin laminated stoneware. This goal has been achieved and now enables all the group’s brands to supply one of the Italian tile industry’s first 100% carbon neutral certified products.
