Sunnei's versatile retail space and café find their home within the Milan headquarters of the brand
In the heart of Milan, fashion brand Sunnei has unveiled its latest venture - a hybrid cafe and concept store located at Via Privata Pietro Cironi, 15, 20133 Milan. This innovative space, known as Palazzina Sunnei, serves as the brand's Aquabella district headquarters.
The design of this hybrid space, a collaboration between Sunnei and architecture firm 2050, centres on minimalism and incorporates exclusive collaborations. The architectural studio 2050 has crafted an environment that is both functional and design-forward, promoting serene and inviting atmospheres tailored to lifestyle and fashion consumers in Milan.
The interiors of the store and cafe embrace a pared-back, adaptable design. The space is described as an 'abacus of geometric elements', with a grid of squares, lines, and circles. Modular white walls constructed from scaled-up pegboard allow shelving to be repositioned at will.
The cafe features pale wood risers that double as seating, cafe tables, box-shaped suspended lighting, and display cases. Clothing racks are present in the store, and fitting rooms are curtain-enclosed. By day, the risers function as a casual gathering space, and by night, they can be reconfigured for talks and intimate performances.
The design collaboration for the store, cafe, and potential gallery expansion was between Sunnei's founders and Milanese architecture firm 2050. This design team has previously worked together on projects like the A/W 2022 runway show.
Sunnei's founders, who are not originally from Milan, view the space as an opportunity to bring added value to the city's cultural landscape. The expanded venue aims to reinforce Sunnei's role as a cultural nexus. The cafe in Sunnei's hybrid cafe and concept store is curated by Tommaso Vergano and Anastasia Posca.
The concept of this hybrid space merges a cafe experience with a retail concept store environment, blurring the lines between consumption and exhibition. The design emphasizes a clean, minimalist aesthetic while embracing innovative materials, such as mycelium insulation - a sustainable biotechnology-based material - to enhance the space's environmental performance and uniqueness.
In summary, the design and concept are minimalist and refined in form and atmosphere, inclusive of sustainable and innovative materials like mycelium insulation, a hybrid space integrating cafe services with concept retail, a collaboration between Sunnei and architecture firm 2050, and a combination fostering a unique cultural and commercial environment balancing design, sustainability, and lifestyle experience in Milan.
[1] Source: Sunnei Press Release
This hybrid space, a collaboration between Sunnei and architecture firm 2050, is not just a cafe or a store, but a unique blend of fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden, creating an immersive lifestyle experience in Milan. The interiors, centred on minimalism and sustainable materials like mycelium insulation, seek to promote an inviting atmosphere tailored to fashion and lifestyle consumers.
