design focus
Sublime nature Studiopepe’s lush intervention for design retailer Mohd brings together a harmonious dialogue between architecture, furniture and landscape
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hat was once a hangar for building airplane engines and later an abandoned photography studio is now home to design retailer Mohd’s headquarters in Milan, restored by Milanese duo Studiopepe. It forms part of Mohd’s design space, Officina Milano, which was inaugurated during Supersalone 2021. Studiopepe’s intervention features a delightful dialogue between nature and architecture and was inspired by the company’s vast portfolio of brands and design plurality – all set within almost 500 square metres of natural light-filled industrial space. ‘Botanica Collectiva’ is as experiential as it is sensorial, placing furniture, lighting and accessories within an enchanting indoor garden, complete with various flora and live butterflies flying overhead or perched on leaves in clusters. It offers a narrative-driven ecosystem of its own, where design and nature coexist in harmony, while encouraging a sense of intimacy and exploration. “We conceived this space as an indoor garden, and we wanted to focus on [the ideas of] beauty and plurality. The beauty is in all the differences,” Arianna Lelli Mami, co-founder of Studiopepe tells identity. “We also wanted to bring together different brands to create interesting interior compositions, like our client, Mohd. So, the beauty of the space is in its plurality, in the connection and synergy of spaces.” 46