The new Catellani & Smith Showroom is located right in the city centre of Bergamo, on a side street but very busy and full of interesting shops. On the three floors of this all-glass shop, the light designer from Bergamo presents its collection of lamps, together with shared workspaces and relaxation and reception areas.
The intent was not only to create a new environment worthy of the creations that will be exhibited but also to create a valuable place that enhances the city of Bergamo, joining the urban fabric and becoming a reference point among the artisan shops, sealing the love - reciprocated - that Catellani has for his city. Francesca Ravasio, the young interior designer chosen for the project, called us by her side to interpret the Showroom spaces with flair and passion.
Catellani decided to entrust the project to her because she knows how to create harmonious and comfortable atmospheres while respecting the needs of each client, thus creating stimulating and memorable environments.
The new Showroom consists of 3 levels, each one characterised by purpose and use. Only the ground floor is used as exhibition space, where the Catellani team will welcome customers and where entry will be free. The first floor, mezzanine, and the basement will instead be private: the upper floor is divided into offices and meeting rooms designed for the daily operations of the company; the basement is designed as an area reserved for distributors or particular company collaborators, where they can preview the products or participate in workshops and training courses.
The exhibition space is designed to be a place that anyone can frequent - not necessarily linked to the sale, therefore - and is designed accordingly so that the environment is welcoming in all its parts, arousing the sensation of feeling at home: refined furniture, selected from the high range proposals of Made in Italy, but always characterised by a practical and not purely aesthetic function; the lights and the arrangement of objects; the use of natural materials and the use of many plants. All these elements combine to create an informal and pleasant environment to frequent.
To work well, it’s essential to work in a beautiful context, where the worker is at ease. Although Catellani creations are elegant and minimal, the work environment is not aseptic and industrial, but rather warm and enveloping. This atmosphere characterises the new Showroom. Catellani & Smith likes to define itself as a large family rather than a company, so we gave the space a homely flavour, where the materials and colours are chosen to enhance this feeling, which is the same as in the production workshops.
We have chosen woods, soft colours and pastel shades, historical furnishings of Italian design combined with plants, also present as vertical green and in flower boxes. Choosing a positive environment means laying the foundations to collect positivity: if you surround yourself with people with the same philosophy of life it is easier to collaborate and the same goes for a workspace; if what surrounds us is beautiful and stimulating, surely the result of our commitment will also be better.
