Tarkett, Note Design Studio and Magis joined forces during Milan Design Week, to collaborate on the installation Formation at the historic Circolo Filologico Milanese, in the Brera Design District, Milan
As one of the oldest centres for the research and study of language, Circolo Filologico Milanese was the perfect backdrop to spark discussion around the infinite design possibilities presented by Tarkett’s new homogeneous vinyl collection IQ
In a contrast between modernity and tradition, the oversized and diffuse forms of Formations filled the different spaces within the Circolo Filologico Milanese
Carefully chosen iconic pieces – such as Konstatin Grcic’s Brut sofa by Magis, with its cylindrical back – echo the archetypal forms of the Formations installation
Note Design Studio worked with Tarkett to design the colours and patterns of the material, and then designed the Milan installation to show some of the many ways it can be used
Formations is an exhibition that questions notions of scale, by taking architectural archetypes and turning them on their head.
By presenting material normally found underfoot in a startling new context, Note aimed to provoke a powerful emotional impact on the public – and inspire architects, designers and other material specifiers to push the boundaries of material convention.
Formations aims to inspire architects, designers and specifiers by exploring the creative potential and limitless possibilities of Tarkett materials.
In the main hall, the high glass ceiling and open balconies of the Circolo Filologico create depth and shed changing light on colour blocking and hues of IQ Surface throughout the day.
Formations of 24 assorted sized columns – the largest towering at 5m – challenge perceptions of the building’s architecture, space and volume, inviting visitors to weave in and out and forge their own path.
Repeated geometric objects balance carefully atop of round ended columns, perhaps the greatest archetype of all, in a daring and playful construct that quite literally turns pillars in the history of architecture on their head by reinterpreting them with a contemporary twist.
“ The Project’s aim was to trigger emotions and create that gut punch of an experience
We are looking for the contrast between the simple and the complicated, the exclusive and the affordable, the natural and the building – arousing emotions in visitors and creating a stunning experience
We use these principles as a DJ uses the tracks on a mixer pushing each lever one by one to find the ideal composition,” …….Cristiano Pigazzini, Note Studios Design Manager
” We started with the idea of of a sculpture park,and we wanted to create shapes that work with the room and the light.” ………….. Johannes Carlström, Note Design Studio’s co-founder
The 1st Floor Library is at the heart of the building’s history
Visitors are invited to interact with a selection of archetype objects carefully curated on a 6×3 m open table – small prototype arches, curves, rings, cylinders, stairs made from a mix of contrasting materials that serve as samples and mini tools for visitors, architects and designers to examine close up, test and touch.
” The main installation is designed to be bombastic – we wanted visitors to be able to experience it with their own bodies, to walk through it and touch it,”
” But we also wanted to have something at smaller scale, so you see the more detailed stuff and maybe look a little bit more closely.” …………… Johannes Carlström
Here, grid vinyl flooring exemplifies the collection’s creativity, with each square clearly defined by contrasting lines made from coloured blocks of IQ material.
Two meeting rooms pick out the different colour hues of IQ Surface through a harmonious association of materials.
They feature colourful speckled surfaces in five colour palettes
The objects show the five colour palettes available, featuring muted shades of red, navy, cream and grey.
The Magis seatings, combined with Desso carpets, the iQ Surface partition wall and table covered with iQ Surface, create a cosy and welcoming boudoir atmosphere that encourages discussion.
With their unique design, the Piña armchair, in custom versions, the Sam Son low chair and Puppy, the latter in a special finish for the occasion, become the ideal lookout point for visitors who sit down to admire this original installation which explores new creative horizons, going beyond the conventional way of perceiving shapes, sizes and colours
With such design chemistry, Magis is the perfect pairing for Tarkett to communicate the full potential and beauty of its materials to a broader audience.
About Tarkett IQ Surface
IQ Surface is produced at Tarkett’s factory in Ronneby, Sweden.
It is currently made from 25 per cent recycled materials, although the long-term aim is to deliver a closed-loop system – also known as a circular economy – that minimises use of virgin materials and produces no waste.
To source materials for recycling, the brand is trialling a programme that sees it reclaim post-use Tarkett flooring.
Using an innovative method, the factory workers are able to remove glue and residues from the material, then turn it into a new high-quality surface.
They are even able to separate out different colours.
The story of Formations won’t end here in Milan, as elements of the installation will be reused for future exhibitions and waste materials will be collected through Tarkett’s ReStart takeback program.
That is how Formations becomes Re-Formations.
The brand hopes eventually to be able to recycle vinyl flooring manufactured by other companies too.
” We are deeply convinced that there is an urgency to shift models to preserve the world’s finite natural resources and capital.
Hence our commitment to develop a circular economy, in which materials are reused.
To that end, integrating recycled materials instead of virgin materials is a core part of that approach.
Vinyl is one of the polymers that are best-suited for recycling since it maintains its original properties for several cycles, This means that IQ Surface material installed today can be taken back and reused in the future.”………….. Myriam Tryjefaczka, director of sustainability for Tarkett.
About Note Design Studio
Stockholm based studio Note was co-founded in 2008 by Johannes Carlström and Cristiano Pigazzini. For the studio creativity is about searching for what is missing, to constantly realign thoughts and expressions to find that moment of insight when everything clicks.
At Note we collaborate intensely, with personal passion and our design disciplines – interior, product, graphic, architecture, and strategies – to share our insights with the world.
Note is considered one of the most influential and progressive studios in the fields of design and architecture with a range of great collaborations with clients from all world.
About Magis
Magis was established in 1976 by Eugenio Perazza, in the north east of Italy.
Its success is based on the desire to provide a broad swathe of users with access to highly functional and technological quality products for the home, developed in partnership with major international designers.
Ethical and poetic as well as aesthetic, Magis products are all 100% “Made in Italy”, guaranteeing high quality, in line with the firm’s tradition, which has developed from its craftsmanship and cultural roots, through the evolving styles and industrial growth of the eighties and nineties, and continues to comprise one of the company’s greatest and most valuable assets.
Magis products have become part of the permanent collections of museums including the MoMA in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
